European Tinnitus Course: A review
7-9th June 2018 – Manchester
In June 2018 the British Tinnitus Association hosted the 29th European Tinnitus Course, reintroducing the highly acclaimed pioneer tinnitus training course after an eight-year hiatus. A sell out return indicated that a quality programme, revived and refreshed to present modern concepts and management of tinnitus and hyperacusis in a multidisciplinary, evidence-based manner was very much still desired.
Set in the heart of central Manchester and delivered over three days, the course attracted delegates from near (UK, Ireland, Jersey) and far (Norway, Saudi Arabia, Ghana) who gained knowledge on tinnitus mechanisms and pathophysiology and treatment modalities in traditional lectures, workshops and Q+A discussions.
With course faculty celebrating the completion of the course, below are accounts from some of the delegates:
Matthew White, Senior Audiologist, Primary Care Rotherham
“I have been working in the tinnitus clinic at Rotherham for about 18 months now and had recently been asked to take over as the tinnitus lead for the department. At the time my skills in the area of tinnitus management were at a basic level of competency and the idea of helping someone with hyperacusis frightened me to death.
I expected to gain extra background knowledge from the lectures but the course far exceeded this; every aspect of tinnitus and hyperacusis management was covered in exceptional detail, my entire knowledge base was lifted immensely and I now feel confident to meet the needs of my patients more effectively. The biggest change that I have made to my practice as a result of the course are to my approach of a more collaborative effort with the patient allowing for shared decision making.
One thing that I didn’t expect from the course was just how supportive it would be. I was one of the least experienced people there, in terms of time in tinnitus management clinics, but the delegates were all incredibly supportive offering help and advice. The incredibly eminent presenters on the course were just as approachable and open to helping me to learn and improve. Their humble honesty about the difficulties that they sometimes encounter in their day to day practice and how they constantly question and adapt their methods and skills was also very inspiring and made it easy to relate to them.
I cannot recommend this course enough to anyone that is considering going on it. Quite honestly, it has changed my practice beyond measure and has probably been the best short course that I’ve ever attended in my audiology career thus far.”
Emma Sloka, Senior Audiologist, Countess of Chester Hospital
“The information on current research in tinnitus pathophysiology and treatment, auditory nociception, middle ear myoclonus, safety behaviours and the efficacy of internet-based CBT was of particular interest to me and will be of great use when answering questions from patients.
I didn’t expect to come away from the course with so many ideas for improvements to our tinnitus service; I expected to only come away with further knowledge enabling me to improve my own practice within the confines of the appointment.
My expectations of this course have been exceeded; I feel much more knowledgeable and confident to appropriately assess and manage my patients with tinnitus and to recognise when it is necessary to make onward referrals for these patients.”
Siane Paterson, Audiologist, Chime Social Enterprise
“I found the course to be very engaging and all the speakers were enthusiastic, the course had a relaxed feel to it which meant asking questions was made easy and also the lecturers were available and happy to talk during break times or at the pub at the of the day. I was surprised by how helpful the group sessions were at the end of each day, to be able to take the opportunity to find out how tinnitus/hyperacusis services work in other departments and discuss alternative methods of managing complex cases.
My primary reason for attending the course was to update my knowledge in tinnitus and improve my knowledge and gain confidence for managing hyperacusis patients. I feel the course met my expectations and more.”
The European Tinnitus Course is back in March 2019, you can book now or reserve a place by emailing [email protected] visit www.tinnitus.org.uk/etc2019
