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A feature in The Hearing Review looks at how hearing care professionals introduce captioning tools to patients whose hearing aids do not fully meet their communication needs. The article reflects on interviews with a sensory disability consultant and an audiologist in clinical practice.
Both describe captioning as a supplement to hearing aids rather than a replacement, pointing to situations where amplification alone is insufficient: phone calls, noisy environments, video conferencing, and masked settings. Patient examples include a woman who reconnected with out-of-state family after receiving a captioned telephone, and professionals who rely on real-time captioning during depositions and online meetings where accuracy is critical.
The article addresses common sources of patient resistance, including the expectation that hearing aids should handle all listening needs and concerns about privacy with captioned calling services. It also covers the role of state equipment distribution programs, FCC-certified no-cost captioning services, and smartphone-based speech-to-text apps for in-person communication. Clinicians interviewed note that many patients are unaware these options exist until a hearing care professional introduces them.
Read the full feature here.
