The Ida Institute—a nonprofit organization that works to develop and integrate person-centered care in hearing rehabilitation—and Action on Hearing Loss—(formerly RNID) a UK-based charity that works with and for people who are deaf, have hearing loss, and tinnitus—have formed a partnership to expand opportunities for people with hearing loss to participate directly in the innovation of audiological counseling tools and resources, the Ida Institute announced. The goal of the partnership is to strengthen the patient’s perspective in their hearing care.

“The mission of the Ida Institute is to support the development of a person-centered approach to hearing care,” said Lise Lotte Bundesen, managing director of the Ida Institute. “By partnering with Action on Hearing Loss, we aim to extend our reach in the UK and identify new collaboration opportunities that will enable us to enhance our focus on the patient’s perspective.”

Chief Executive of Action on Hearing Loss, Paul Breckell, said, “As the largest charity in the UK working with and for people with hearing loss, Action for Hearing Loss has a very thorough understanding of how hearing loss can affect people’s lives—from their relationships to their education and job prospects. The partnership with the Ida Institute provides us with a unique opportunity to participate in the development of new methods and tools that will inform the hearing care of tomorrow and create a better understanding of what it means to live with hearing loss.”

The new partnership is part of the Ida Institute’s effort to create a network of organizations that work together towards a more person-centered approach to hearing care. In 2017, the institute also signed partnership agreements with Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Source: Ida Institute, Action on Hearing Loss