As the population in the U.S. becomes more diverse, health care professionals have a responsibility to adapt their services to meet the needs of the diverse populations they serve. However, many providers lack access to the appropriate resources to provide high quality care to their Spanish-speaking patients. Audiology Services in Diverse Communities is a professional resource designed to decrease language barriers, improve patient-clinician interactions, and create more culturally competent hearing services. Written by a clinician for clinicians working on a daily basis with minority communities experiencing existing systemic barriers, this unique text begins with an overview of cultural competence and the barriers that exist in audiology services. The text continues an evidence-based, cross-cultural approach to addressing some of those barriers and generating a discussion of what professionals can do in their own clinical settings. The final, and largest, section of the text is a language tool presented in both English and Spanish to aid clinicians as they communicate and work with Spanish-speaking patients. Key Features: * The only book that provides clinicians with a compilation of resources, in English and Spanish, ready to use in clinic * More than 25 resources such as clinical history forms, test instructions, standardized questionnaires, self-assessment tools available in English and Spanish to help clinicians provide with language concordance during clinical encounters. * Evidence-based ideas that can help clinicians assess, develop, implement, and monitor cultural-competent services * A unique format that allows clinicians to visualize English resources on the left-side and Spanish resources on the right-side, facilitating communication between patient and clinician

The loss of hearing - be it gradual or acute, mild or severe, present since birth or acquired in older age - can have significant effects on one's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health. Despite this, many people with hearing loss do not seek or receive hearing health care. The reasons are numerous, complex, and often interconnected. For some, hearing health care is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or individuals do not know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma that they and society may associate with needing hearing health care and obtaining that care. Still others do not recognize they need hearing health care, as hearing loss is an invisible health condition that often worsens gradually over time. In the United States, an estimated 30 million individuals (12.7 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older) have hearing loss. Globally, hearing loss has been identified as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability. Successful hearing health care enables individuals with hearing loss to have the freedom to communicate in their environments in ways that are culturally appropriate and that preserve their dignity and function. Hearing Health Care for Adults focuses on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing health care for adults of all ages. This study examines the hearing health care system, with a focus on non-surgical technologies and services, and offers recommendations for improving access to, the affordability of, and the quality of hearing health care for adults of all ages.

Working with Interpreters and Translators: A Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists offers state-of-the-art procedures to conduct interviews, assessments, and conferences with students with limited English language proficiency and their families. As no research base is available in the field of communicative disorders on this specific topic, the information presented in this guide is supported by a critical review of the literature on best practices in interpreting for international conferences and legal and medical fields. Furthermore, the authors' experience working with language interpreters and training professionals as well as graduate students in communicative disorders, makes this a very valuable resource for professionals, interpreters/translators, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. Federal and state laws specify that, if necessary, English-language learners (ELL) need to be assessed in their native language when referred for possible special education. The number of ELL students attending public schools across the nation has increased in the past few decades. There are not enough speech-language pathologists (SLPs) or audiologists who are proficient in the various languages spoken by ELL students--even in Spanish, the most common language spoken by ELL students in the United States. The next best solution is to conduct assessments in collaboration with a trained interpreter/translator. Key features include: * Information and references for the most common languages spoken by ELL students * Discussion of culturally based variables that need to be considered in the process of interviewing and working with linguistically and culturally diverse populations *Description of the roles and responsibilities for individuals who will be collaborating as interpreters and translators with SLPs and audiologists in various contexts, such as interviews, assessments, and various meetings (such as IEPs and IFSPs), as well as suggestions on training individuals in this collaborative process *Review of best practices in speech-language and audiological assessments, both with and without materials in the given language Disclaimer: Please note that ancillary content (such documents, audio, and video) may not be included as published in the original print version of this book. Working with Interpreters and Translators: A Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists is a must-have reference for anyone working with ELL students. Although the process was developed with the pediatric population in mind, much of this information can be applied to older culturally and linguistically diverse populations in need of speech-language and/or hearing services. It will also be useful to professionals working with language interpreters in allied health professions in other countries.

As hearing aid technology becomes more automated and easier to use for persons with hearing loss, the need for humanistic interactions with a professional is more important than ever. Relationship-Centered Consultation Skills for Audiologists: Remote and In-Person Care is a how-to guide for clinicians who want to provide evidence-based, holistic care to persons with hearing loss. By focusing on person-centered communication, this practical text is an incredible tool for providers who utilize both in-person and remote telehealth approaches to care. With new disruptive technologies, it is crucial to adapt to a changing marketplace. The material in Relationship-Centered Consultation Skills for Audiologists: Remote and In-Person Care is practical and straightforward to implement for the busy clinician. Key Features: * A concise book that describes how relationship-centered communication can be implemented in any hearing care practice and why relationship-centered communication will be a key differentiator in the era of self-directed and remote care * Scientifically validated frameworks that describe relationship-centered health care * Evidence-based models of human behavior associated with the chronic condition of hearing loss * Holistic approaches to utilizing relationship-centered communication during both in-person and telepractice appointments with help seeking individuals * A turnkey method for implementing blended hearing care using relationship-centered principles

Compression for Clinicians: A Compass for Hearing Aid Fittings, Third Edition explains many developments that have taken place in the world of hearing aid compression, fitting methods, and real ear measurement. The text aims to make difficult concepts easier to understand and to explain in plain language many topics pertaining to compression. Directional microphones and digital features of noise reduction, feedback reduction, and expansion are also covered. The third edition recognizes two distinct clinical populations of sensorineural hearing loss: mild to moderate, on one hand, and more severe, on the other. These two clinical populations are well served by a corresponding pair of compression types: wide dynamic range compression and output limiting compression. Another double distinction held throughout the text is the two-part task for all hearing aids: providing gain and also increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. Gain is addressed by compression, while listening in noise is addressed by directional microphones and digital noise reduction. The Third Edition: Includes new chapters on common clinical encounters (Chapter 1), real ear measurement (Chapter 5), and adaptive dynamic range optimization (Chapter 10)Distinguishes between "sensory" and "neural" hearing loss and devotes a separate chapter to each of these types of sensorineural hearing lossContains updated coverage of digital hearing aids, directional microphones, and digital noise reductionRetains a strong focus on the historical development of compression from yesterday's analog hearing aids to digital hearing aids of today Compression for Clinicians is intended for those studying to become hearing health care professionals, including audiologists and hearing instrument practitioners. It is also intended for practicing clinicians who simply want to refresh their knowledge base concerning hearing loss and hearing aids. Clinically relevant and very thorough, it provides a compass in the world of compression hearing aids.

One of the major skills required for success in practice is to know how to manage a clinic. Strategic Practice Management: Business Considerations for Audiologists and Other Healthcare Professionals, Third Edition is extremely useful for clinicians currently managing their own clinics as well as for the development and teaching of courses in practice management. The first and second editions of this text have been used in university training programs. The third edition contains contributions from nine guest chapter authors, six who are new to this text, and all are experts in their field. Their insight provides the reader with an enlightening resource essential to the operational and business management of the practice setting, including developing an appropriate business plan; startup and long-term planning; essential legal considerations; fiscal monitoring and methods to assess the ongoing financial health of the practice; reimbursement capture; patient and referral source management; human resource issues, including compensation strategies; and much more. Dr. Robert Glaser and Dr. Robert Traynor have extensively updated all of the retained chapters with significant improvements to the content, tables, and figures. Comprehensively researched, every effort has been made to provide the most recent and thorough references for further review. NEW CONTRIBUTORS AND CHAPTERS: Legal Considerations in Practice Management: Michael G. Leesman, JDDeliberations on Ethics in the Practice of Audiology: Rebecca L. Bingea, AuDNEW! Itemizing Professional Hearing Care Services: Stephanie J. Sjoblad, AuDNEW! Office Management Systems: Brian Urban, AuDNEW! Audiology in the Insurance System: Amber Lund-Knettel, MA, and Thomas J. Tedeschi, AuD ADDITIONAL NEW TOPICS: Management Implications for Audiology PracticeCompetition in Audiology PracticeProfessional Selling Techniques This text covers virtually every current area of practice management and is an excellent resource for any health care practitioner considering a startup venture, purchasing an ongoing practice, reinventing their current practice, or for those interested in sharpening their clinical service delivery model in the current competitive arena.

Americans are accustomed to anecdotal evidence of the health care crisis. Yet, personal or local stories do not provide a comprehensive nationwide picture of our access to health care. Now, this book offers the long-awaited health equivalent of national economic indicators. This useful volume defines a set of national objectives and identifies indicatorsâ€"measures of utilization and outcomeâ€"that can "sense" when and where problems occur in accessing specific health care services. Using the indicators, the committee presents significant conclusions about the situation today, examining the relationships between access to care and factors such as income, race, ethnic origin, and location. The committee offers recommendations to federal, state, and local agencies for improving data collection and monitoring. This highly readable and well-organized volume will be essential for policymakers, public health officials, insurance companies, hospitals, physicians and nurses, and interested individuals.

A contemporary and vibrant Deaf culture is found within Deaf communities, including Deaf Persons of Color and those who are DeafDisabled and DeafBlind. Taking a more people-centered view, the second edition of Deaf Culture: Exploring Deaf Communities in the United States critically examines how Deaf culture fits into education, psychology, cultural studies, technology, and the arts. With the acknowledgment of signed languages all over the world as bona fide languages, the perception of Deaf people has evolved into the recognition and acceptance of a vibrant Deaf culture centered around the use of signed languages and the communities of Deaf peoples. Written by Deaf and hearing authors with extensive teaching experience and immersion in Deaf cultures and signed languages, Deaf Culture fills a niche as an introductory textbook that is more inclusive, accessible, and straightforward for those beginning their studies of the Deaf-World. New to the Second Edition: *A new co-author, Topher González Ávila, MA *Two new chapters! Chapter 7 “Deaf Communities Within the Deaf Community” highlights the complex variations within this community Chapter 10 “Deaf People and the Legal System: Education, Employment, and Criminal Justice” underscores linguistic and access rights *The remaining chapters have been significantly updated to reflect current trends and new information, such as: Advances in technology created by Deaf people that influence and enhance their lives within various national and international societies Greater emphasis on different perspectives within Deaf culture Information about legal issues and recent political action by Deaf people New information on how Deaf people are making breakthroughs in the entertainment industry Addition of new vignettes, examples, pictures, and perspectives to enhance content interest for readers and facilitate instructor teaching Introduction of theories explained in a practical and reader-friendly manner to ensure understanding An updated introduction to potential opportunities for professional and informal involvement in ASL/Deaf culture with children, youth, and adults Key Features: *Strong focus on including different communities within Deaf cultures *Thought-provoking questions, illustrative vignettes, and examples *Theories introduced and explained in a practical and reader-friendly manner