Effectiveness of Group Communication Strategy Program for Individuals with Hearing Loss

Purpose: The use of communication strategy facilitates successful communication by reducing communication breakdowns for people with hearing loss. The purpose of this study is to develop a group communication training program that can be implemented in hearing aid centers in Korea and assess its impact on individuals with hearing loss. Methods: The study involved a total of eight adults, comprising five hearing aid users and three bimodal cochlear implant users. The group communication strategy program was conducted for 2 hours per week continuously over a span of 3 weeks. The effectiveness of the group communication strategy program was measured in Korean version of hearing handicap inventory for the elderly (K-HHIE), Communication and Acceptance Questionnaire, International Outcome Inventory-Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI), Modified Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (Modified-COSI) and subjective feedbacks. Results: Following the group comunication strategy program, participants presented improvements in K-HHIE, CAQ, and Modified-COSI after group communication strategy program. Additionally, the results of the IOI-AI and subjective feedback indicated overall satisfaction and positive feedbacks on the group communication strategy program. Conclusion: Group communication strategies program in this study showed positive effects on communications for people with hearing loss by learning communication strategies and practicing in their daily lives. To further promote the domestic group communication strategy program, further research is needed to develop various program contents considering the daily life of individuals with hearing loss.