Abstract
The Goal Sharing for Partners Strategy (GPS) is a tool for audiologists to use with
patients with hearing loss (PHLs) and their communication partners (CPs). This strategy
provides a framework that is designed to assist both the PHL and their CP to (1) acknowledge
the hearing loss; (2) acknowledge the hearing loss-related activity limitations and
participation restrictions that they each face as a result of the hearing loss; (3) acknowledge that they are partners in communication;
and (4) develop an understanding of their shared responsibility in dealing with the
hearing loss. The GPS is a shared goal-setting strategy that enables PHLs and their
CPs to develop realistic mutually derived communication goals and to consider the
steps necessary to achieve these goals. The purpose of this article is to outline
the need for the GPS, to present the theoretical background for its development, and
to describe the steps necessary to use this new tool. Both a step-by-step GPS road
map is described, as well as suggestions for using the GPS as a framework for including
CPs in the audiological rehabilitation process.
Keywords
Audiological rehabilitation - hearing loss - communication partners
