What every hearing care professional needs to know about tinnitus

The British Academy of Audiology is keen to provide some tinnitus training that ensures Tinnitus patients feel more supported and better understood. One of the results of this is that Tinnitus patients get immediate ‘first aid’.

 

The aim of this course is to effectively deliver a basic introduction to tinnitus management for as many professionals working in our sector as possible. We want to ensure as a professional body and patient organisation that any patient who mentions tinnitus during any routine appointment is triaged effectively and offered appropriate onward referral or simple advice on management and self-help.

Tell me more about this training

The training consists of three short online modules with essential learning for everyone working in Hearing Healthcare. This is an assessed course with a final piece of reflection on two patients you have seen with tinnitus.

If you complete the 3 modules and the assessment satisfactorily you will receive an e-certificate for your personal CPD records.

BAA documents

The online content is approximately 2 hours in short duration modules and each piece of assessed reflection should take about 20 minutes to complete.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course you will be able to:

  • Speak about tinnitus and answer frequently asked questions.
  • Triage patients that should be offered more specialist support to your local tinnitus services.
  • Reflect on your own encounters with patients who have tinnitus and offer better advice in the future.
  • Have the tools to be a better listener and use listening skills to assist your patients.
Why should I do this training?

In 2015 after a James Lind Alliance survey the BTA commissioned a report to understand how patients with deafness or profound hearing loss are currently supported when tinnitus is disclosed.

There were several recommendations and this module is developed to provide some support to meeting those recommendations.

  1. Health professionals, in all disciplines, should review whether they take seriously enough the impact of tinnitus on their patients. They should make an enquiry about tinnitus a routine part of all interactions with deaf patients or those suspected of hearing loss.
  2. The greatest impact of tinnitus was experienced by those with greater levels of hearing loss, but they are more likely to be discharged or not given support. Audiologists need to be aware of this, and of the impact of the combination of hearing loss and tinnitus, and possible other appropriate management.

Source: Conspiring Together. BTA and Ear Foundation Report Download from: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/conspiring-together-tinnitus-and-hearing-loss

Who is it for?

This is a basic course and aimed at anybody working with patients who may have tinnitus. You do not need to be working as a clinician as often lay people can be spreading great messages about tinnitus management and self-help too.

Every interaction is important so if you are a receptionist, HCA, Nurse or non-medical person with an interest in providing great information for someone with tinnitus please listen to the modules and learn how to give simple straightforward advice.

How do I complete the Tinnitus training?

Please listen to each of the three short presentations below to complete the taught elements of this training. At the end of the training you will need to consider and reflect on one case which you referred on and one which you managed in a routine appointment and submit both forms together to admin@baaudiology.org

After you have completed the Introduction module, please visit the Take on Tinnitus website before completing the next two modules.

About this module

This Tinnitus module was developed jointly between the British Tinnitus Association and the British Academy of Audiology.

We would like to thank the authors of the modules:

Beth-Anne Culhane, Advanced Audiologist & Hearing Therapist at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Trust

Michelle Booth Clinical Lead Adult Audiology Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust