Demand high for lived experience and insight in hearing loss research projects
As BHA continues to deliver on its mission of promoting and advancing the hearing health and wellbeing of all Australians impacted by hearing loss and disorders of the ear, it’s an opportune time to take stock and provide an update of BHA’s current research partnerships.
For consumers to have direct input into the programs and initiatives below is vitally important. Co-design in programs for people with disabilities is crucial because it ensures their voices are heard, leading to more relevant and effective solutions. It fosters empowerment, inclusion, and innovation by incorporating their unique perspectives.
This approach enhances accessibility, usability, and trust and we are proud of the valuable input BHA and its many volunteers are contributing to these initiatives.
HearChoice with Curtin University
Empowering adults with hearing loss by increasing informed choice, accessibility, and uptake of hearing healthcare
Goal
The end goal of the HearChoice project is to develop an app that will assist individuals in understanding how to manage hearing difficulties and choose the best option for their needs.
HearChoice will educate users on what hearing loss is, the importance of seeking help, the available management options, and how to access assistance. The goal of HearChoice is to ensure more people receive the optimal support for their hearing difficulties.
The development of HearChoice began by engaging key stakeholders in the clinical, advocacy, research, and policy sectors, as well as individuals with hearing loss, to understand their perspectives on the project.
The team then investigated the barriers and enablers to help-seeking and decision-making among those with hearing difficulties, including individuals who had not yet sought help. This stage provided insights on how to best support the uptake of hearing care.
HearChoice has been co-designed with people experiencing hearing difficulties at every step, and it is currently in the later stages of development in collaboration with Reach Health Promotion Innovations.
“Gosh – HearChoice progress looks really, really good. As a consumer needing to make assistance choices, the tool felt like I had a personal coach assisting me to navigate the website. Moreover, it breathed non-judgmental, no hard sell, no pontificating, no bias, with simple empathic language.”
Next Steps
The next step, scheduled for early January 2025, is a randomised controlled trial involving approximately 600 participants to test the effectiveness of HearChoice in assisting people with hearing difficulties.
ACE2.0 with The University of Queensland
Improving the psychosocial and emotional well-being of adults with hearing loss through co-designed evidence-based services.
Goal
Hearing loss affects a person’s ability to communicate and socialise and ACE2.0 aims to build and improve upon the popular original Active Communication Education (ACE) program that BHA have been delivering.
Community members partner have with researchers to develop an innovative and contemporary education and support program which will help adults with hearing loss, and their families, overcome the everyday communication, social and emotional difficulties they experience.
The solution will be rolled out and evaluated in hearing services across Australia and subsequently be made available to all Australians with hearing loss.
Next Steps
Later this year, BHA will run trial sessions of the new ACE Your Hearing program to evaluate and provide practical feedback to the research team. The trial, conducted by BHA’s Consulting Audiologist, will involve participants from BHA’s community of lived experience volunteers and other selected parties.
Once the program is finalised, BHA plans to run the valuable sessions multiple times a year for Queenslanders with hearing loss.
GROUPS 4 HEALTH with The University of Queensland
Evidence-based intervention targeting social disconnection and loneliness.
Goal
GROUPS 4 HEALTH (G4H) aims to give people the knowledge and skills to build and maintain their sense of social connectedness in ways known to enhance health and well-being.
Built around five modules that involve a range of activities and workshops, the strength of the G4H program lies not only in its ground-breaking new understanding of how to tackle social isolation, but also in the fact that the program offers an in vivo experience of positive group connection – allowing participants to learn and experience at the same time.
The G4H a program has now been tested in:
- Phase I (proof of concept),
- Phase II (RCT comparing G4H with treatment-as-usual), and
- Phase III (RCT comparing G4H with group CBT) clinical trials.
These studies show that G4H: (i) reduces loneliness and improves mental health, (ii) is better than treatment as usual in reducing social anxiety and increasing group belonging, and (iii) offers better protection against loneliness relapse than CBT.
Additionally, a number of research papers have also been published including:
- GROUPS 4 HEALTH: Evidence that a social-identity intervention that builds and strengthens social group membership improves mental health
- GROUPS 4 HEALTH reduces loneliness and social anxiety in adults with psychological distress: Findings from a randomised controlled trial
- The connecting adolescents to reduce relapse (CARR) trial: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial comparing the efficacy of GROUPS 4 HEALTH and cognitive behaviour therapy in young people
Next Steps
In 2025, BHA will be running a trial of the G4H program on behalf of UQ to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the program on participants’ and their participation and value derived from groups. This trial will provide valuable insights into how the program can be optimised and scaled for broader implementation.
HearHelp with Deafness Forum
Innovating online hearing support through co-design
Goal
The HearHelp study is aimed at understanding and addressing the unmet needs of adults with hearing loss in accessing and engaging with online hearing health information and resources.
Funded through an NHMRC grant, this project will design, develop, and test prototypes of an innovative online support service tailored specifically to people with hearing loss.
This initiative represents a groundbreaking effort, as it will be the first of its kind in Australia to offer such a comprehensive online support platform for adults with hearing loss.
The HearHelp project is a collaborative endeavour involving Macquarie University, Cochlear, Deafness Forum Australia, and Google, and is planned to span three years. Recognising the importance of co-design and user involvement, the project will actively engage end-users in the development process to ensure the system meets their needs.
Next Steps
Currently in its early stages, the study is establishing an advisory group that will play a crucial role in the design of the online support service, with BHA (Brisbane) being a key member of this group.
Invaluable inputs
BHA’s involvement through executive and volunteer input in these research projects is invaluable, ensuring the needs and perspectives of people with hearing loss are central to the development of effective solutions.
By actively participating in co-design processes, BHA and its volunteers contribute to creating programs that are not only accessible and usable but also deeply resonate with the lived experiences of the community.
This collaborative effort enhances the quality and relevance of the projects, ultimately promoting better hearing health outcomes and a more inclusive approach to healthcare innovation.
BHA’s commitment to these initiatives highlights the importance of consumer input in advancing the hearing health and wellbeing of all Australians.
