Developing effective communication skills in audiology using anonymous patient feedback.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of anonymous patient feedback for audiology students, examining alignment between student and patient judgments on communication skills and assessing how students utilise the feedback. DESIGN: This study utilised a mixed methods design, employing a Likert survey to collect patient and student ratings on professionalism, compassion, and listening and talking skills in clinical encounters. Semi-structured interviews investigated the student perspective of receiving patient feedback. STUDY SAMPLE: 13 Audiology students and 31 patients who were placed at, or received care at an Audiology teaching clinic. RESULTS: Patients' ratings across all measures were higher on average when compared to students' self-ratings, only correlating significantly for the measure concerning students' talking skills. Five themes and one subtheme were identified: Emotional impacts, A worthwhile experience, Contrasting priorities, Patients retake centre stage, and Self-reflective learners (subtheme Self-doubt). CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that patient feedback led student Audiologists to report heightened seriousness in their interactions and increased attention on skills vital for patient-centred care. The process boosted students' confidence and reinforced awareness of the patient's perspective. Further research is needed to gauge the extent of these effects and explore the feasibility of implementing a large-scale patient feedback program in audiology training settings.

The reliability of remote diagnostic hearing assessment in school-entry-aged children.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of remote diagnostic hearing testing within schools, for school-entry aged children (4-7 years). DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional comparative study design was used to establish the reliability of remote hearing assessment by comparing traditional face-to-face pure tone audiometry (PTA) with remote PTA, traditional otoscopy with remote video otoscopy and interpretation of tympanograms in-person with remote analysis. STUDY SAMPLE: 464 school-entry year level children from 18 schools. RESULTS: Air conduction thresholds established by remote testing were within a clinically acceptable range of ±10 dB HL from traditional thresholds in 98% of cases at 1 kHz and 97.8% at 4 kHz. Bone conduction thresholds varied by ≤10 dB HL in 100% of cases at 1 kHz and 95.7% at 4 kHz. Remote otoscopy and tympanometry interpretation had 78.6% agreement (moderate; κ = 0.6) and 92.2% agreement (almost perfect; κ = 0.9), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found there to be good reliability between face-to-face PTA and remote PTA performed within the school environment. Furthermore, assessment of the outer and middle ear via video otoscopy and remote tympanometry classification were both viable. Remote diagnostic hearing tests in schools can extend reach of paediatric services in rural areas.

E-Learning Simulations for Teaching Clinical Decision-Making in an Audiology Training Program.

PURPOSE: Clinical decision-making is an essential component of most clinical processes across the health sector and an ongoing challenge for clinical education programs to teach to students. The traditional methods of teaching these skills outside of lectures are mainly through clinical placements and problem-based learning (PBL) sessions, but availability and consistency can be variable and resource heavy. To address these challenges, an e-simulation module specific to pediatric infant diagnostic testing has been developed and implemented into the teaching program. We aimed to establish whether e-simulation resulted in student skill acquisition. METHOD: Academic performance measures for 67 audiology students who used a traditional PBL and 108 students who used the e-simulation module were collected and analyzed. Student survey results generated both quantitative and qualitative data, which were analyzed using a thematic analysis with an inductive approach. RESULTS: Findings indicated that the e-simulation platform introduced in this study yielded learning outcomes similar to the traditional PBL format previously used. Participants experienced a significant in situ increase in understanding of infant diagnostic testing concepts following the use of the e-simulation and evaluated the e-simulation platform positively. CONCLUSION: The data support that an e-simulation-based approach in clinical education presents pedagogical benefits and can provide a meaningful sustainable inclusion in today's clinical teaching programs.

Educational strategies in the health professions to mitigate cognitive and implicit bias impact on decision making: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive and implicit biases negatively impact clinicians' decision-making capacity and can have devastating consequences for safe, effective, and equitable healthcare provision. Internationally, health care clinicians play a critical role in identifying and overcoming these biases. To be workforce ready, it is important that educators proactively prepare all pre-registration healthcare students for real world practice. However, it is unknown how and to what extent health professional educators incorporate bias training into curricula. To address this gap, this scoping review aims to explore what approaches to teaching cognitive and implicit bias, for entry to practice students, have been studied, and what are the evidence gaps that remain. METHODS: This scoping review was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Databases were searched in May 2022 and included CINAHL, Cochrane, JBI, Medline, ERIC, Embase, and PsycINFO. The Population, Concept and Context framework was used to guide keyword and index terms used for search criteria and data extraction by two independent reviewers. Quantitative and qualitative studies published in English exploring pedagogical approaches and/or educational techniques, strategies, teaching tools to reduce the influence of bias in health clinicians' decision making were sought to be included in this review. Results are presented numerically and thematically in a table accompanied by a narrative summary. RESULTS: Of the 732 articles identified, 13 met the aim of this study. Most publications originated from the United States (n=9). Educational practice in medicine accounted for most studies (n=8), followed by nursing and midwifery (n=2). A guiding philosophy or conceptual framework for content development was not indicated in most papers. Educational content was mainly provided via face-to-face (lecture/tutorial) delivery (n=10). Reflection was the most common strategy used for assessment of learning (n=6). Cognitive biases were mainly taught in a single session (n=5); implicit biases were taught via a mix of single (n=4) and multiple sessions (n=4). CONCLUSIONS: A range of pedagogical strategies were employed; most commonly, these were face-to-face, class-based activities such as lectures and tutorials. Assessments of student learning were primarily based on tests and personal reflection. There was limited use of real-world settings to educate students about or build skills in biases and their mitigation. There may be a valuable opportunity in exploring approaches to building these skills in the real-world settings that will be the workplaces of our future healthcare workers.

Evaluation of a game-based hearing screening program for identifying hearing loss in primary school-aged children.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a tablet-based hearing screening game in primary school aged children. To examine the prevalence of middle/outer ear pathology, hearing loss and spatial processing disorder in primary school aged children. DESIGN: The automated hearing test Sound Scouts was used as a screening tool, which measures hearing abnormalities through tests of speech-in-quiet/noise and tone-in-noise. Children who failed the screenings underwent follow up testing with pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, otoscopy, and the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test. Results of each test were compared to measure efficacy. STUDY SAMPLE: 1256 children aged 4-13 years from 8 primary schools. RESULTS: 111 children (8.84%) presented with evidence of middle/outer ear pathologies. 21 children (1.67%) had hearing loss in at least one ear. 30 children (2.52%) were diagnosed with spatial processing disorder. False positive rate was 5.01%, indicating that a relatively small proportion of the children who failed the screenings were subsequently shown to have normal auditory function. CONCLUSIONS: A game based program testing sound detection and binaural speech processing can be effective in detecting undiagnosed hearing deficits, in large format school-based hearing screenings. Prevalence of hearing abnormalities in Victorian primary school aged children were established, highlighting the value of school hearing screening programs.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma caused by vitreous prolapse after neodymium:YAG posterior capsulotomy.

We report the second known case of acute angle-closure glaucoma from vitreous prolapse after neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy in a patient with a posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL). This is the first reported case to result in corneal decompensation that required penetrating keratoplasty. The rare complication of vitreous prolapse was unusual in this patient because of the presence of a posterior chamber IOL, a small 4.0 mm capsulotomy opening, and low (26 mJ) Nd:YAG laser energy.

Outcomes of laser in situ keratomileusis in a Refractive Surgery fellowship program.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to document the learning curve and evaluate the success of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) performed by fellows in a Cornea/External Disease and Refractive fellowship program. METHODS: Two surgeons performed LASIK within a fellowship training program between July 2000 and August 2001. A retrospective review was conducted to determine the visual outcomes and operative complications from this non-comparative case series of 755 consecutive eyes. All LASIK procedures were performed using a Bausch & Lomb Technolas 217A laser and the Bausch & Lomb Hansatome or the Automated Corneal Shaper microkeratome. All eyes were evaluated for operative complications. Visual acuity was reported with a minimum of 1 month follow-up. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed that uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was attained in 99.4% of treated eyes, and 20/20 or better in 77.2%. With both eyes open, 100% of patients saw 20/30 or better, 94% saw 20/20 or better, 70% saw 20/15 or better, and 5.5% saw 20/10. Flap related complications occurred in 7 of 755 eyes (0.9%) and all were successfully treated. Forty-two eyes (5.6%) were lost to follow-up prior to the 1-month examination and were excluded from analysis of visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: Favorable operative and visual acuity 1-month results in 755 eyes after LASIK with the Bausch & Lomb Technolas 217A laser were in part due to a well organized system of education, patient examination, execution of surgery, and postoperative care. A team approach was essential.

Superficial keratectomy with mitomycin-C for the treatment of Salzmann's nodules.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the success of treatment and prevention of recurrence of Salzmann's nodules by superficial keratectomy with intraoperative mitomycin-C (MMC). SETTING: Price Vision Group, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. METHODS: This retrospective consecutive case series comprised 30 eyes of 25 patients who had superficial keratectomy with MMC between January 1997 and June 2000 at a large tertiary-care center. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients reported improvement in their symptoms. The remaining patient lost 1 line of visual acuity. Ninety-seven percent of eyes maintained or improved best corrected visual acuity. No patient had a recurrence of Salzmann's nodular degeneration over a mean follow-up of 28 months +/- 15 (SD) (range 4.0 days to 4.1 years). CONCLUSION: Superficial keratectomy with MMC appears to be a valid and safe method for treating and preventing the recurrence of Salzmann's nodular degeneration.

Long-term graft survival after penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To determine long-term graft survival rates and causes of secondary graft failures for a large series of penetrating keratoplasties (PKPs). DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Longitudinal review of 3992 consecutive eyes that underwent PKP at a large tertiary care referral center from 1982 through 1996. Data were collected retrospectively from August 1982 through December 1988 and prospectively thereafter. INTERVENTION: Three thousand six hundred forty primary grafts and 352 regrafts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Corneal graft survival and etiology of graft failures. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after transplant, then at yearly intervals. RESULTS: Mean recipient age was 67 years (range, 1-98 years). The predominant indications for PKP were pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (32%) and Fuchs' dystrophy (23%). Graft failure occurred in 10% (385) of the eyes. The most common causes of secondary graft failure were endothelial failure (29%) or immunologic endothelial rejection (27%). Survival of first time grafts was 90% at 5 years and 82% at 10 years. Initial regrafts had significantly lower 5-year and 10-year survival rates, 53% and 41%, respectively. The highest 5-year and 10-year survival rates were noted in primary grafts for eyes with a preoperative diagnosis of keratoconus (97% and 92%, respectively), or Fuchs' dystrophy (97% and 90%, respectively). Primary grafts for aphakic bullous keratopathy without intraocular lens placement had the lowest 5-year survival rate, 70%. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year and 10-year survival rates in this series demonstrate that PKP is a safe and effective treatment for the corneal diseases commonly transplanted in the United States. However, endothelial failure and immunologic graft rejection were persistent risks over the long term, supporting the need for continued patient follow-up. Regrafts, aphakic eyes without intraocular lens placement at the time of transplant, and corneas with deep stromal vascularization had reduced graft survival rates. Pseudophakic bullous keratopathy grafts with a retained posterior chamber intraocular lens were at increased risk of endothelial failure compared with primary grafts done for other causes or compared with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy grafts done with intraocular lens exchange.