Tinnitus tips for audiologists

10 per cent of the population experience tinnitus and 1 per cent are troubled by it. As audiologists, the percentage of patients seen who have tinnitus and who are distressed by it is even higher than this average. In this issue, Keith Dunmore, Head of  Audiology at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, gives his personal insights into helping and supporting audiology patients who have tinnitus.

RNID Tinnitus Helpline analysis

At RNID Tinnitus Helpline we wanted to find out exactly who was calling the helpline, so we devised a simple questionnaire for the tinnitus and audiology information team to fill in. To streamline the process, we did not include straightforward tinnitus calls taken by RNID Information Line. We tried to fill in the questionnaire as much as possible using the information callers were telling us, rather than asking them questions directly. The form was a useful framework for us to make sure we had not left any questions out. Read the analysis in this issue.

CBT and tinnitus course

Hazel Perry, Senior Hearing Therapist at Epsom and St Helier, Surrey Hospital, Surrey, outlines the main findings of the course, Managing your tinnitus using CBT techniques in audiological medicine which was held at Aston University in 2006.