Initial consultations in hearing aid clinics in Australia.

Fifty initial consultations in government hearing aid clinics were audiotape recorded and analyzed to study the behavior of audiologists and clients in the initial stages of hearing aid rehabilitation. Consultations averaged 34 minutes and showed a four-stage clinical routine in which clients appeared largely passive. Hearing aid fitting was initiated in 48 (96%) consultations. The consultations of individual audiologists differed significantly in total time, proportion of consultation time in which talk occurred, proportion of consultation time in which talk occurred, proportion of consultation time devoted to hearing assessment, and the number of clients' direct requests for information. Individual audiologists appeared to have one of two general patterns in hearing aid prescription. The study indicates a need for the further study of audiologist behavior and the relationship of that behavior to hearing aid rehabilitation outcomes such as client satisfaction and degree of hearing aid use.