Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Audiologists in India Towards Audiological Care of Individuals with Cognitive Impairments-A Preliminary Exploratory Study.

Background/Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of audiologists in India towards audiological care of individuals with cognitive impairments. Methods: The questionnaire was adapted from a previously published questionnaire designed to explore knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding comorbid hearing loss and cognitive impairment among Australian allied hearing healthcare professionals. Participants included audiologists with at least a bachelor's degree in audiology and speech-language pathology, a minimum of one year of work experience and registration with the Rehabilitation Council of India. An online questionnaire was created using Google Forms and disseminated via social media and personal emails. Continuous variables were summarized using means and standard deviation, while categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages. Results: A total of 140 audiologists participated in the study. Overall, the responses indicated a generally positive awareness towards managing individuals with comorbid hearing loss and cognitive impairment. Most respondents were mindful about the coexistence of hearing loss and cognitive impairment while working with older adults, with 74.3% either agreeing or strongly agreeing. This self-reported awareness was not consistently reflected in reported practice, with only 31.4% having used a formal cognitive screening test as part of their clinical practice. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that while audiologists report a degree of self-perceived awareness regarding cognitive impairment, this does not consistently translate into practice. Notable gaps remain in training, awareness of appropriate screening tools, and actual implementation of cognitive screening, highlighting the need for greater clinical support, structured training, and clearer referral pathways to bridge the gap between self-reported awareness and evidence-based practice.