Background: Counselling plays an integral part in the management of presbycusis and tinnitus. Counselling can be conducted by implementing patient-centred care (PCC), showing improved patient outcomes; however, it has been poorly implemented in healthcare in South Africa (SA), particularly in the field of audiology for this condition.Objectives: This study aimed to report on audiologists’ presbycusis and tinnitus counselling practices as guided by the PCC framework within KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).Method: Quantitative semi-structured online surveys were conducted using purposive sampling of 41 audiologists practising in both the public and private sectors within KZN.Results: This study revealed that 7.3% (n = 3) of participants provided only compensation for hearing loss without counselling, and only 2.4% (n = 1) of participants offered group counselling. Apart from this, 7.9% (n = 3) reported that tools and resources in counselling were not useful, whilst 12.5% (n = 5) reported that counselling was not multiculturally sensitive. Furthermore, a p = 0.044 suggests the public sector reported a dire need for improved training in counselling as compared with the private sector.Conclusion: Audiologists have been providing services within PCC to the best of their capabilities and their environments; however, there is still room to better implement PCC for improved patient outcomes. PCC has not been fully implemented into counselling practices in terms of patient preferences, emotional support, involvement of significant others, integrated care and education.

Background: Counselling manages the psychosocial effects of presbycusis and associated tinnitus, which is best conducted through patient-centred care (PCC). However, there is a paucity of research on implementing PCC within audiology and on patients’ perceptions of counselling practice, making the focus on patient benefit and satisfaction crucial. Furthermore, PCC has been documented to be suitable in addressing the psychosocial effects of hearing loss and associated tinnitus, as it focuses on the adult patient playing an integral part of the management processes, providing improved patient outcomes.Objectives: This study aimed to explore patients’ perceptions of presbycusis and associated tinnitus counselling practices by audiologists within KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).Method: Qualitative phenomenological semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted through purposive sampling, consisting of seven patients with presbycusis and associated tinnitus who were recruited from private and public facilities in KZN. Data were analysed through hybrid thematic analysis following Braun and Clark’s steps.Results: Six categories were identified: perceptions on counselling methods, efficacy and tools, audiological rehabilitative training, multicultural sensitivity, patient satisfaction and recommendations on improving counselling practices as PCC adaptation. Themes were then extracted from these categories. The overall outcome of the study found that patients had positive perceptions of methods and tools, and audiologists were viewed as adequately trained. Furthermore, they were satisfied and benefitted from counselling practices and found clinicians to be culturally sensitive in their practice. However, recommendations were made towards linguistic sensitivity and satisfaction evaluations.Conclusion: Therefore, implementing PCC into counselling practice may achieve positive patient perceptions, thus highlighting the need to identify barriers and improve the implementation of PCC into practice, especially in resource-constrained contexts.