Who prompts patients to consult about hearing loss?

Amongst the patients who are seen in audiology clinics about their hearing loss, many factors must exist which determine the outcome of subsequent rehabilitation. In this pilot study, 95 patients were seen in two audiology centres (London and Cardiff), and were questioned as to who primarily motivated them to first seek help for their hearing loss. It was found that only a minority of patients reported that they were self-motivated and that in the majority, especially with the older patients and those not working outside the home, it was a family member who persuaded the patient to consult his doctor. Possible implications of these findings with regard to the design and outcome of subsequent rehabilitation are discussed. The extension of this work, in order to compare the outcome of rehabilitation in self-motivated patients with that in non-self-motivated patients, is outlined.