Viewpoint on the Benefit of Hearing Care on Cognitive Health.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a viewpoint on the recently published results showing the positive effect hearing intervention can have on mitigating the risk of cognitive decline in elderly individuals with hearing impairment. We intend to trigger a broader discussion on the implications of these results from an implementation science perspective. Recently published results were reviewed and contextualized. In our view, these recent findings provide a great opportunity for hearing care professionals to change the perspective on hearing care being an essential service that contributes not only to managing challenges with audibility but to enabling healthy living and aging. As exciting as these findings are, from our perspective, they are also a call to action for the audiology field in terms of clinical implementation science. The findings guide us toward a more interprofessional approach in order to develop and test new, more holistic models of hearing care.