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29/09/2021 | 08:00 CEST | Audiology

Sonova intensifies holistic approach in Audiological Care business, expanding its service portfolio

Stäfa (Switzerland), 29 September, 2021 – Sonova Holding AG, a leading provider of hearing solutions, is expanding its range of Audiological Care services to support patients with different medical needs often co-existing with hearing loss. This includes tinnitus care, auditory-cognitive training as well as fall risk assessment and mitigation. This move underscores Sonova’s holistic approach towards Audiological Care, providing additional value in its services for people with hearing loss.

“Mounting evidence shows us that unmanaged hearing loss can have significant impact on a person’s quality of life, affecting psychosocial, socioemotional, and physical factors,” says Christophe Fond, Group Vice President Audiological Care at Sonova. He adds, “Due to the fact that hearing loss is associated with additional risk factors and co-existing conditions, hearing loss should be treated in the context of other medical needs. By taking a holistic view and expanding our services, we will meet the needs of more patients, serving as their partner in healthy aging.” 2,3

Increased self-management options in tinnitus care
Tinnitus affects 10-15% of the adult population and about 80-90% of tinnitus patients have some form of hearing loss that requires clinical intervention.4,5 To date, no immediate, 100% effective solution exists to cure tinnitus.6 Instead, those approaches which counsel tinnitus patients and allow them to manage their condition according to their individual needs, have proven successful. Sonova Audiological Care recently developed a holistic tinnitus management approach, which is based on current clinical best practice.4

Within this holistic management approach, a specific two-stage education program for Sonova’s hearing care professionals (HCPs) was implemented. In several Group Companies in the Audiological Care business, all HCPs are being trained on basic tinnitus care and a subset of HCPs in our medical hubs are receiving comprehensive training to become proficient in advanced tinnitus counseling methods.

Digital offering for auditory-cognitive training
As part of its expanded holistic service portfolio, Audiological Care is also introducing auditory-cognitive training (ACT), a combination of exercises that train cognitive skills like focused attention, divided attention, auditory perception, phonological short-term memory, and working memory. ACT will be available to patients in more than forty locations in Austria, Canada and the Netherlands from October 2021. Accessible on private mobile devices, the digital training suite will offer a gamified experience to the users, designed to improve cognitive skills.7

Preventive strategies: fall risk assessment and mitigation
Estimates show that every third person over the age of 65 falls at least once a year8. These falls can result in broken bones, hips or head trauma that may lead to hospitalization or even long-term health consequences. 9,10 Recent research has shown that hearing loss results in up to a three times higher fall risk.11,12 Therefore, Sonova Audiological Care aims to raise awareness, provide counseling on common risk factors (including hearing impairment), and inform on preventive strategies such as functional screening, regular physical activity and multimodal exercising as successful ways for supporting healthy aging and reducing the risk of falls.13

In addition, Sonova’s Audiological Care business is introducing fall risk assessments to educate patients on their specific risk factor for falls. The assessment is performed using body-worn sensors created by a third party. The result is used to make personalized recommendations where appropriate.

Being informed on fall risk is especially relevant for individuals aged 65+, for whom two conditions often associated with ageing – osteoporosis and hearing loss – can be life-changing events, potentially bringing isolation and dependency. Despite this, only one in three people over 65 at high risk of osteoporosis and hearing loss are currently diagnosed in Europe.14 Osteoporosis has been identified as a potential significant risk factor for hearing loss, and scientific evidence suggests that the risk of hearing loss is increased by 20% in individuals with osteoporosis.15

To close this diagnosis gap, Sonova Audiological Care has entered an innovative collaboration with Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. For more information, please refer to Amgen Europe’s website: https://www.amgen.eu/amgen-media-release/featured-news/amgen-and-sonova-collaboration

To raise awareness further, AuditionSanté, Sonova’s Audiological Care brand in France, will join Amgen France in its roadshow in three major French cities (Paris, Marseille and Lille) in the weeks leading up to World Osteoporosis Day (20 October). The roadshow will offer a hybrid format, providing information about osteoporosis, fracture risks and healthy aging – both live and through digital channels - as well as interactive activities such as Tai chi sessions, Smoothies bikes and a hearing corner. The program of the roadshow is available here: https://www.toutsurosteoporose.fr/

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