12.11.2009

Ida Institute Convenes Academic Panel in US

Sharmi Albrechtsen

Ida Institute recently convened a gathering of hearing care opinion leaders representing the audiology departments of nearly 20 leading U.S. universities.

The two-day Academic Panel, held at the University of Florida, Gainesville, explored opportunities to integrate the Institute’s innovative education materials into undergraduate and graduate audiology curriculums. 

The Institute also discussed potential partnerships with the attending universities to collaborate on projects, studies, papers and new findings in areas that have the most relevance and greatest impact for hearing care, hearing care professionals and, most importantly, people with hearing loss.  

“We see tremendous potential for young audiologists preparing to enter workforce to benefit from the many patient-centered tools developed by the Ida Institute through our seminars and collaboration with experts in audiology and other healthcare disciplines,” states Ida Institute Director Lise Lotte Bundesen. “Through partnerships with universities in the U.S. and other countries, we aim to inspire networking and new ambassadors to further the Institute’s goal of generating better understanding of the human dynamics of hearing loss.”  

 The Academic Panel was comprised of representatives from: University of Kansas; Rush University Medical Center; University of Arizona; University of Pittsburgh; Gallaudet University; James Madison University; The University of Akron; A.T. Still University of Health Sciences; University of North Carolina; University of Florida; University of Texas – Dallas; University of South Florida; University of Louisville; University of Mississippi; Cornell University; University of Minnesota; Indiana University; University of Tennessee – Knoxville and City University of New York.  

A number of Ida Institute fellows – hearing care professionals who have completed one of the Institute’s seminar sessions – have already integrated the Institute’s patient-centered tools into curriculums for undergradute, graduate and post-graduate students. 

The practical, hands-on tools facilitate patient engagement in the counseling process and support practitioners in analysis and problem solving. 

 “I realized much of what I was teaching was too much in the abstract,” explained Assistant Professor Yell Inverso, Au.D., Ph.D. of the Osborne College of Audiology at Salus University.  “Ida Institute tools give me something more concrete to share with my students so that they have practical tools to use to better relate to their patients.  When I present the tools to students in class, it is amazing to see how their wheels are turning, thinking about patients that they have seen recently. They all have their hands up, wanting to chime in and give an example of how this or that might have changed if they had just had this tool available to them two weeks ago when Mr. Smith was in.”  

Bundesen anticipates similar positive responses as the Academic Panel members begin to integrate Ida Institute tools into their teaching modules. 

”Their enthusiasm for the concepts we presented was contagious,”  Bundesen notes. ”We have already begun to develop Modules that will contain a variety of education materials to enable educators, clinicians and other hearing care professionals to conduct training sessions for students, staff members and individuals with hearing loss.”