Real-Life Decision Making
You are a clinical audiologist who specializes in pediatric hearing health
care. Because you treat children, your days are filled both children and their
parents.
Today has been an especially busy day so far. The first part of your day
has consisted of hearing evaluations for two infants, a hearing aid fitting
for a one-year-old boy and numerous routine check-ups.
You finish up with a patient and let reception know that they can let the
next person in. You are scheduled for an appointment with the Robertsons.
As usual, they are running late.
The Robertsons have a three-year-old girl whom you diagnosed last year
with a moderate hearing loss. Because she is only able to hear someone speak
when they are very close to her, it was necessary for her to receive a hearing
aid.
Fortunately she was diagnosed early, so she still has the opportunity to
develop understandable speech. However, it is sometimes difficult dealing
with her parents. The Robertsons are constantly late for appointments. In
fact, two appointments ago, they failed to show up.
In addition to this, you have a strong sense that they are not being consistent
with the listening and speech exercises that you assigned to them to help
their child. And when you them questions, you wonder about whether they are
being truthful in their answers or not. Your patient's progress has been much
slower than you had anticipated.
Lately, you have seriously wondered whether you should continue treating
this patient or not. On the one hand, her parents are not cooperating in helping
their daughter, and this is preventing another willing family from receiving
care. On the other, if you stop administering the care, the child may not
get the treatments she needs and deserves.
What do you do?