Hay-McCutcheon Marcia J, Berenbrok Lucas A, Mormer Elaine, Hughes Peter J
Department of Communicative Disorders, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Semin Hear. 2025 Mar 21;46(1):19-25. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1806790. eCollection 2025 Feb.
Adults living in rural communities of Alabama have limited or no access to hearing healthcare for a variety of reasons. Hearing loss can result in decreased social contact, potentially leading to loneliness, and it has been associated with depression and cognitive decline. To improve access to hearing healthcare, the FDA released its Final Rule in 2022 stating that adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss can purchase over-the-counter hearing aids (OTC HAs) on their own without clearance from a physician or through the care of an audiologist. Current research suggests, however, that adults benefit from professional support when purchasing and setting their OTC HAs. Understanding how much support is needed and how to best provide the support will be necessary for successful OTC HA use. Considering that these devices can now be purchased at pharmacies, one model in rural areas could involve the pharmacy technician who could assist and support those with hearing loss in community pharmacies. This article outlines a pharmacy technician educational training program that will incorporate didactic, interactional, and experiential learning components to promote the use of OTC HAs. The outcomes from this project will provide the foundation for the development and implementation of one model for improving access to hearing healthcare in rural communities.
由于多种原因，居住在阿拉巴马州农村社区的成年人获得听力保健服务的机会有限或根本没有。听力损失会导致社交接触减少，可能会导致孤独感，并且与抑郁症和认知能力下降有关。为了改善听力保健服务的可及性，美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）在2022年发布了最终规定，指出感觉有轻度至中度听力损失的成年人可以自行购买非处方助听器（OTC HAs），无需医生批准或通过听力学家的护理。然而，目前的研究表明，成年人在购买和佩戴OTC HAs时受益于专业支持。了解需要多少支持以及如何最好地提供支持对于成功使用OTC HAs至关重要。考虑到这些设备现在可以在药店购买，农村地区的一种模式可能涉及药房技术人员，他们可以在社区药店协助和支持听力损失患者。本文概述了一个药房技术人员教育培训计划，该计划将纳入理论、互动和体验式学习组件，以促进OTC HAs的使用。该项目的成果将为开发和实施一种改善农村社区听力保健服务可及性的模式提供基础。
