scholarly journals Using virtual reality in medical education to teach empathy

2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dyer ◽  
Barbara J. Swartzlander ◽  
Marilyn R. Gugliucci
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Nursing Curricula ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
Immersion Training ◽  
Teaching Modality

Objective: The project adopted technology that teaches medical and other health professions students to be empathic with older adults, through virtual reality (VR) software that allows them to simulate being a patient with age-related diseases, and to familiarize medical students with information resources related to the health of older adults.Methods: The project uses an application that creates immersive VR experiences for training of the workforce for aging services. Users experience age-related conditions such as macular degeneration and high-frequency hearing loss from the patient’s perspective. Librarians and faculty partner to integrate the experience into the curriculum, and students go to the library at their convenience to do the VR assignment.Results: The project successfully introduced an innovative new teaching modality to the medical, physician assistant, physical therapy, and nursing curricula. Results show that VR enhanced students’ understanding of age-related health problems and increased their empathy for older adults with vision and hearing loss or Alzheimer’s disease.Conclusion: VR immersion training is an effective teaching method to help medical and health professions students develop empathy and is a budding area for library partnerships. As the technology becomes more affordable and accessible, it is important to develop best practices for using VR in the library.

scholarly journals Dual Effects of Hearing Loss and Dementia on Functional Limitations in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 214-214
Author(s):  
Michael McKee ◽  
Yunshu Zhou ◽  
Joshua Ehrlich ◽  
Elham Mahmoudi ◽  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Household Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Lower Mobility ◽  
Independent Effects ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Age-related hearing loss (HL) is both common and associated with elevated risk for cognitive decline and poorer health. To care for an aging population, it is critical to understand the effect of coexisting HL and dementia on functional activities. The effect of co-existing dementia and self-reported HL on daily functioning were assessed. A cross-sectional analysis was performed using nationally-representative data from the 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study consisting of U.S. adults 65+. The sample included 1,829 adults with HL (22.8%) and 5,338 adults without HL. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to model the independent effects and interaction of self-reported HL and dementia status on three validated functional activity scales (self-care, mobility, and household). All analyses adjusted for sociodemographic and medical factors. HL participants were more likely to be white, older, male, less educated (p <0.01). 8.4% had possible dementia and 6.5% had probable dementia. Respondents with HL or possible or probable dementia had significantly lower mobility, self-care, and household activity scores (p<.001 for all comparisons) compared to their peers. A small yet significant interaction was present in all models, suggesting that HL respondents with co-occurring dementia had lower mobility, self-care, and household activity scores than predicted by the independent effects of dementia and self-reported HL (p<.001 for all comparisons). Older adults with co-occurring dementia and HL are at increased risk for poor functioning and should be screened by healthcare providers. Future work should consider the impact of intervention in this vulnerable/at-risk population.

scholarly journals Interprofessional Education Activity to Improve Communication With Older Adults With Hearing Loss

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
Laura Gaeta ◽  
Tara Sharpp
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Complex Case ◽  
Evaluation Data ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Education Activity ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine how an interprofessional education (IPE) intervention with Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSAD) and Nursing students can affect their ability to communicate effectively with older adults who have hearing loss. As the older adult demographic increases, healthcare professionals must provide competent care, which includes effectively managing hearing-related communication difficulties in an increasingly diverse population. Faculty received IRB approval to conduct a descriptive mixed-methods study to determine knowledge and satisfaction of students completing an IPE activity. Students were divided into teams of CSAD and Nursing students. Students listened to a brief presentation on IPE before they were introduced to a complex case study of an 84-year-old male with age-related hearing loss. We administered a knowledge assessment questionnaire (KAQ) we created regarding communication with older adults before and after the activity. A total of 92 participants in the two programs (n=36 CSAD, n=56 Nursing) completed the KAQ before and after the activity and an evaluation with a Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. CSAD students scored significantly higher than Nursing students on the KAQ at baseline (F=25.69, p<0.001) and KAQ scores increased significantly (F=57.04, p<0.001) among both groups from pretest to posttest. The evaluation data indicated students were able to learn other perspectives and found the experience valuable. Based on the improvement in scores on the KAQ and evaluation data, this IPE activity increased knowledge related to communication with older adults with hearing loss and awareness of the roles of other professions.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Impairment in a Chinese Elderly Population: The Baseline Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinxing Fu ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
Robert H. Eikelboom ◽  
Dona M. P. Jayakody
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽  
Paired Associates ◽  
Multiple Stepwise Regression Analysis ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the association between untreated age-related hearing loss and cognitive impairment in Mandarin-speaking older adults living in China.Methods: Older adults (293; 111 males, M = 70.33 ± 4.90 years; 182 females, M = 69.02 ± 4.08 years) were recruited. All participants completed a pure tone audiometric hearing assessment, Hearing Impairment-Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (HI-MoCA), and a computerized neuropsychology test battery (CANTAB). The Mandarin version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to measure the loneliness, and the Mandarin version of the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to measure the current severity of a range of symptoms common to depression, stress, and anxiety of the participants.Results: A multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the average of four mid-frequency thresholds in the better ear was related to CANTAB Paired Associates Learning (β = 0.20, p = 0.002), and the global cognitive function score (HI-MoCA) (β = −0.25, p < 0.001). The average of three high frequencies in the better ear was significantly associated with CANTAB Delayed Matching to Sample (β = −0.16, p = 0.008), and Spatial Working Memory (β = 0.17, p = 0.003).Conclusion: The results revealed a significant relationship between age-related hearing loss and cognitive impairment in Mandarin-speaking older adults. These research outcomes have clinical implications specifically for hearing health care professionals in China and other populations that speak a tonal language, especially when providing hearing rehabilitation.

Hearing impairments and their treatments

2017 ◽  
pp. 1171-1176
Author(s):  
Sara K. Mamo ◽  
Theresa H. Chisolm ◽  
Frank R. Lin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Side Effect ◽  
Care Management ◽  
Geriatric Care ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss ◽  
Primary Care Management

Hearing loss is highly prevalent and increases as a function of age. Although hearing loss affects many aspects of ageing and communication, it is often overlooked and treated as a rather inconsequential side effect of ageing. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce age-related hearing loss, the broader implications of age-related hearing loss as it relates to healthy ageing, and practical strategies for primary care management of hearing loss. A majority of the cases of age-related hearing loss remain untreated. Primary and/or geriatric care clinics may serve as the entry point for many older adults with hearing loss. Including questions about hearing loss or screening for hearing loss at other health encounters may increase access for older adults to hearing loss treatment.

Prevalence of age-related hearing loss, including sex differences, in older adults in a large cohort study

2016 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 725-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nienke C. Homans ◽  
R. Mick Metselaar ◽  
J. Gertjan Dingemanse ◽  
Marc P. van der Schroeff ◽  
Michael P. Brocaar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Large Cohort ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Large Cohort Study ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss

scholarly journals Prevalence of Age-Related Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Blue Mountains Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 169 (4) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bamini Gopinath ◽  
Elena Rochtchina ◽  
Jie Jin Wang ◽  
Julie Schneider ◽  
Stephen R. Leeder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Blue Mountains ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss

Age Affects Responses on the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) by Adults with Minimal Audiometric Loss

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (02) ◽  
pp. 081-091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Banh ◽  
Gurjit Singh ◽  
M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Clinically Normal ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Listening In Noise ◽  
Psychology Course

Background: Age-related declines in auditory and cognitive processing may contribute to the difficulties with listening in noise that are often reported by older adults. Such difficulties are reported even by those who have relatively good audiograms that could be considered “normal” for their age (ISO 7029-2000 [ISO, 2000]). The Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ; Gatehouse and Noble, 2004) is a questionnaire developed to measure a listener's self-reported ability to hear in a variety of everyday situations, such as those that are challenging for older adults, and it can provide insights into the possible contributions of auditory and cognitive factors to their listening difficulties. The SSQ has been shown to be a sensitive and reliable questionnaire to detect benefits associated with the use of different hearing technologies and potentially other forms of intervention. Establishing how age-matched listeners with audiograms “normal” for their age rate the items on the SSQ could enable an extension of its use in audiological assessment and in setting rehabilitative goals. Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to investigate how younger and older adults who passed audiometric screening and who had thresholds considered to be “normal” for their age responded on the SSQ. It was also of interest to compare these results to those reported previously for older listeners with hearing loss in an attempt to tease out the relative effects of age and hearing loss. Study Sample: The SSQ was administered to 48 younger (mean age = 19 yr; SD = 1.0) and 48 older (mean age = 70 yr, SD = 4.1) adults with clinically normal audiometric thresholds below 4 kHz. The younger adults were recruited through an introductory psychology course, and the older adults were volunteers from the local community. Data Collection and Analysis: Both age groups completed the SSQ. The differences between the groups were analyzed. Correlations were used to compare the pattern of results across items for the two age groups in the present study and to assess the relationship between SSQ scores and objective measures of hearing. Comparisons were also made to published results for older adults with hearing loss. Results: The pattern of reported difficulty across items was similar for both age groups, but younger adults had significantly higher scores than older adults on 42 of the 46 items. On average, younger adults scored 8.8 (SD = 0.6) out of 10 and older adults scored 7.7 (SD = 1.2) out of 10. By comparison, scores of 5.5 (SD = 1.9) have been reported for older adults (mean age = 71 yr, SD = 8.1) with moderate hearing loss (Gatehouse and Noble, 2004). Conclusions: By establishing the best scores that could reasonably be expected from younger and older adults with “normal” hearing thresholds, these results provide clinicians with information that should assist them in setting realistic targets for interventions for adults of different ages.

The Influence of Social Support and Coping on Quality of Life Among Elderly With Age-Related Hearing Loss

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Moser ◽  
Wolfgang Luxenberger ◽  
Wolfgang Freidl
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
World Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss

Purpose The consequences of hearing loss hinder the everyday life of older adults and are associated with reduced well-being. The research aim was to explore the influence of hearing problems, various coping strategies, and perceived social support on quality of life. Method Sixty-five older adults with age-related hearing loss (≥55 years) in Austria participated and completed a paper–pencil survey with standardized questionnaires: Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (Ventry and Weinstein, 1982), Assessment for Coping and Stress (Laireiter, 1997), short form of the Social Support Questionnaire (Fydrich, Sommer, Tydecks, & Brähler, 2009), and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale–Brief Version (World Health Organization, 1996). Results Quality of life was predicted by perceived social support and the number of comorbid diseases (i.e., the physical, psychological, environmental, and social quality of life was better the greater the extent of perceived social support and poorer the more diseases from which the participants suffered). Conclusions Perceived social support may be a relevant factor to focus on in auditory rehabilitation programs, in particular, for participants who communicate little support in hearing-related situations and are, hence, at a relative disadvantage. The involvement of significant others in counseling could facilitate the everyday life for older adults with age-related hearing loss and their significant others.

A comparison of immersive virtual reality with traditional neuropsychological measures in the assessment of executive functions

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Melissa Clare Davison ◽  
Catherine Deeprose ◽  
Sylvia Terbeck
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real World ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
Seating Arrangement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Initial Work ◽  
Neuropsychological Tasks

ObjectiveThis study investigated immersive virtual reality (IVR), as a novel technique to test executive function of healthy younger and older adults. We predicted IVR tasks to have greater predictive power than traditional measures when assessing age-related cognitive functioning due to the real-world validity of the tasks.MethodsParticipants (n=40) completed the Stroop colour–word test and the trail-making test (TMT) as traditional and commonly used assessments of executive functioning. Participants then completed three IVR tasks; a seating arrangement task, an item location task (both set in a virtual chemistry lab), and a virtual parking simulator.ResultsYounger adults completed significantly more parking simulator levels (p<0.001), placed significantly more objects (p<0.001), and located significantly more items than older adults (p<0.01), demonstrating higher levels of performance. Significant correlations were found between performance on traditional neuropsychological measures and IVR measures. For example, Stroop CW performance significantly correlated with the number of parking simulator levels completed (τ=0.43, p<0.01). This suggests that IVR measures assess the same underlying cognitive constructs as traditional tasks. In addition, IVR measures contributed a significant percentage of the explained variance in age.ConclusionIVR measures (i.e. number of parking simulator levels completed and number of objects placed in the seating arrangement task) were found to be stronger contributors than existing traditional neuropsychological tasks in predicting age-related cognitive decline. Future research should investigate the implementation of these real-world-based tasks in clinical groups given this promising initial work.

Design Recommendations to Enhance Virtual Reality Presence for Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 2077-2081
Author(s):  
Sean A. McGlynn ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
General Population ◽  
Design Recommendations ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Older Users ◽  
Virtual Presence ◽  
Intended Effect ◽  
Design And Application

Virtual reality (VR) systems are becoming increasingly affordable for the general population. These technologies have potentially beneficial applications in a wide variety of contexts. Primary considerations for enhancing VR experiences in these contexts are the level of immersion enabled by the technology and the level of presence experienced by the user. Older adults are often overlooked during the design and application of VR technologies, even though these types of systems may help overcome certain aspects of the age-related challenges and limitations that they experience. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the applications of VR for older adults and to identify characteristics of older users that could impact the way they experience these advanced technologies. This review culminates in design recommendations for increasing the likelihood that the immersiveness of the VR system has its intended effect on the experience of virtual presence for older adults.

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