Hearing loss has a variety of psychosocial effects that often negatively affect those who have it and their communication partners. The negative effects are seen in peoples' attitudes toward hearing loss, compliance with treatment recommendations, and willingness to change communication behavior. One result is the tendency to blame the hearing aids for problems in understanding what others are saying when other factors are the real contributors to communication breakdowns. Educating patients

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... their communication partners about these hearing loss-related factors that interfere with getting the maximum benefits from hearing technology is a necessary step in effectively managing hearing loss. Learning Outcomes: As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to (1) list the major categories of psychosocial challenges reported by patients and their communication partners; (2) select appropriate Ida tools to use to assess the level of their patients' psychosocial challenges.