Communication between a pharmacist and a patient with hearing loss in a community pharmacy – prospective, non-invasive questionnaire study

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The primary objective of this study was to assess, based on the results of a questionnaire-based survey, pharmacists’ communication skills when interacting with patients experiencing hearing loss of varying severity. The secondary objective was to evaluate pharmacists’ knowledge — derived from the collected responses — regarding the risk factors associated with hearing loss, including: comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, hypertension), pharmacotherapy involving ototoxic medications, and patient age (e.g., age over 65 years). Materials and Methods: The study received approval from a bioethics committee. It was a prospective, anonymous, questionnaire-based study conducted among 130 pharmacists. The survey was distributed both online and in person (in printed form) and was targeted at pharmacists employed in community pharmacies. The questionnaire was created using Google Forms. It contained 19 questions, 18 of which were closed-ended, while the final question was open-ended. Among the 18 closed questions, 14 were single-choice and 4 were multiple-choice. The first group of questions (Questions 1—7 and Question 19) pertained to pharmacists’ communication skills. The second group (Questions 8—10 and Question 16) focused on adverse drug reactions related to ototoxicity and pharmacists’ knowledge of patient groups at increased risk for hearing loss. The third group (Questions 11—15 and Question 17) addressed educational materials (including training) and technologies that facilitate communication with patients with hearing impairment. The open-ended Question 18 asked participants to propose solutions to support and improve communication between pharmacists and hard-of-hearing patients in community pharmacy settings. Results: Findings from the 130 participating pharmacists indicate that the majority (52.3%) think their current training has not adequately prepared them to communicate with hearing-impaired patients. One-third of respondents emphasized that information on adverse effects impacting hearing should be more clearly highlighted in materials provided by pharmacists, indicating the need for tailored communication regarding drugs with potential ototoxicity. A need for adaptation of educational materials to better suit hearing-impaired patients was also noted. A total of 49.2% of respondents rated their own communication skills with hearing-impaired patients as average, while approximately 28.5% rated them as poor. Conclusions: Based on the collected data, pharmacists assess their communication skills with hearing-impaired patients as insufficient. They correctly identify medicinal products that may cause hearing loss as an adverse effect and are able to point out patient groups whose underlying conditions increase the risk of hearing impairment. However, deficiencies in education (particularly in soft skills), training, and access to materials or equipment that facilitate communication with hearing-impaired patients are identified as the main barriers and challenges to effective communication in community pharmacy settings.