In the article, titled “Exploring Community Health Worker (CHW) Models for Delivering Audiology Services,” Frank and her co-authors examine the feasibility of leveraging community health workers in places where access to hearing healthcare is limited. This may be due to several factors, including distance to hearing professionals, limited resources, transportation barriers, a lack of awareness about services and misconceptions around health coverage.
Noting that only 22% of Americans who could benefit from hearing aids use them, the authors sought out to investigate if CHWs—trained laypeople with strong ties to their community—can help people access the care they need.
Through interviews and discussion with a focus group, the team found common themes around issues for patients; issues for clinicians; and factors related to the healthcare system. To learn more about the study and its outcomes,
read the article on The Hearing Review’s website.
