Phonak launches accredited program on Family-Centered Care
Six eLearning modules provide hearing care professionals with extensive knowledge on family integration in the audiological rehabilitation process
Stäfa, Switzerland – July 11, 2018 – Phonak, the leading global innovator for hearing instruments and wireless communication solutions, announces the launch of a new accredited eLearning program on Family-Centered Care (FCC) for hearing care professionals. The training will be made available exclusively to customers within the Phonak loyalty programs.* FCC is an approach to hearing healthcare that recognizes the vital role the family plays in the treatment process. It considers both the clients and their family members as partners throughout the audiological journey.
In order to facilitate FCC implementation into clinical practice, Phonak, together with leading experts in the field, developed a series of accredited eLearning modules. Goals of the program are to increase the confidence of hearing care professionals in their ability to implement FCC in their daily practice, as well as to raise awareness of the many benefits of FCC. For example, research has shown that having a family member in the room results in improved consumer satisfaction and significant increase in adoption rate.1
All you want to know about FCC in one place
In six online units, participants will be introduced to persons to illustrate examples of clinical interactions and then develop skills through a variety of interactive exercises.
Each unit will take 10-15 minutes to complete, followed by time spent in clinic and on reflecting on learning. Hearing care professionals will be encouraged to work with a peer for practice and feedback, and there are pre and post self-assessments to determine the extent to which learning goals have been met.
Throughout the course, Phonak Family-Centered Care Expert Circle members offer their wisdom and experience. These include Louise Hickson, Professor of Audiology at the University of Queensland, Joseph Montano, Professor of Audiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Kris English, Professor of Audiology at the University of Akron, Ohio.
The open-for-all trailer module provides a short introduction to FCC and an outline of the FCC eLearning program
“We at Phonak truly believe in FCC and the win-win situation for everyone involved,” says Ora Buerkli, Vice President Global Audiology at Phonak Headquaters. “This new exciting training program not only provides eligible hearing care professionals with easy access to expert knowledge at their own convenience, but at the same time, also provides accreditation by local governing bodies.”
A dedicated eLearning module for front office staff will also be offered to increase understanding of their important role as the gateway for clients to clinicians.
Hosted on Phonak Learning the program will gradually be made available exclusively to customers within the Phonak loyalty programs* in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, UK, Germany and France.
FCC e Learning modules at a glance:
Unit 1 – Introduction to FCC
Unit 2 – Preparing your practice for FCC
Unit 3 – The assessment appointment with family
Unit 4 – How to include family members in other appointments
Unit 5 – Managing difficult conversations
Unit 6 – Conclusion and next steps
To give hearing care professionals a taste of the learning program, Phonak has developed an open- for-all trailer module accessible through this link: http://elearning.tools.phonakpro.com/FCC.
* Loyalty programs vary by country. Local Phonak clinical trainers can verify eligibility requirements and participation status.
1 Gurjit Singh and Stef Launer, Social Context and Hearing Aid Adoption, Trends in Hearing, 2016, Vol.20: 1
Press Release: Phonak launches accredited program on Family-Centered Care
About Phonak
In 2017, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, proudly celebrates its 70th anniversary.
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak was born in 1947 out of a passion for taking on the most difficult hearing challenges. Seventy years later, this passion remains. As the industry’s leading provider, we offer the broadest portfolio of life-changing hearing solutions. From pediatric to profound hearing loss, we remain committed to creating hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. We believe in creating a world where ‘Life is on’ for everyone.
At Phonak, we believe that hearing well is essential to living life to the fullest. For 70 years, we’ve remained true to our mission, creating life-changing hearing solutions to help people thrive socially and emotionally. Life is on.
Media Relations Phonak
Europe
Florence Camenzind
Phone +41 58 928 33 25
Email florence.camenzind@sonova.com
U.S.
John Urbaniak
Phone +1 331 204 27 99
Email john.urbaniak@sonova.com