What if professional development included more time to practice?

A few years ago, I would have found it hard to imagine hearing care professionals practicing consultations with artificial intelligence. Not because I doubted the technology, but because I always saw coaching as something that required another person: someone to listen, observe, and give feedback.

That view has changed through my experience with ACE (Audiology Coach for Excellence). Seeing how it can support practice has reinforced a question that matters to all of us in audiology: How do we help hearing care professionals develop real confidence in their day-to-day practice?

There can be a gap between knowing what good practice looks like and feeling confident enough to put it into practice. We see it in everyday consultations. Having knowledge is one thing. Applying it naturally and responding to each patient’s individual needs is another.

Practice makes it real

Think about any high-performing profession. Athletes do not improve by watching videos alone. Musicians do not become experts by reading sheet music alone.

They practice. They receive feedback. They reflect. Then they practice again.

Yet in healthcare, we can expect people to attend training and immediately turn new knowledge into confident clinical behavior. That is a big ask.

Confidence takes time to develop. Coaching gives hearing care professionals an opportunity to practice what they have learned and receive feedback before applying it with patients.

The coaching challenge

The challenge is not recognizing the value of coaching. It is making it happen consistently.  In my experience, hearing care professionals value opportunities to develop their skills, and managers want to support them.

Even when coaching is a priority, time and access can get in the way. Managers juggle competing demands, and experienced mentors may support large teams, leaving limited time for individual coaching.

Informal live polling at a workshop attended by leaders from across Europe highlighted these pressures:*

• 58% of 93 respondents selected lack of time as the biggest barrier to consistent coaching in their markets. A further 17% selected limited follow-up after training.
• 4% of 97 respondents selected weekly coaching as typical for a hearing care professional in their market.

Of course, this was just one group’s perspective, so it doesn’t tell us what coaching looks like across Europe. But it does highlight a challenge many of us will recognize: finding time to support people as they develop their skills.

Making more room for practice

When we talk about AI in healthcare, opinions are often mixed. Some are excited about the possibilities, while others wonder how it might affect the human side of our work.

I can understand both perspectives. For me, the question is where AI can add value. The personal connection and understanding that a human coach brings remain essential.

But what if AI could make it easier for hearing care professionals to practice between coaching sessions?

With ACE, hearing care professionals can practice realistic patient conversations and receive feedback in a safe space, at their own pace. They can try a different approach and see how the conversation unfolds.

Keeping an open mind

AI-supported coaching will not remove the need for human guidance and meaningful feedback. Nor should it. But it could make practice and feedback more accessible, including before a difficult conversation takes place.

For me, that is the opportunity: giving hearing care professionals more chances to learn through practice, so they can feel more confident in conversations with the people they support.

Interested in trying ACE? Visit the Sonova Academy Platform to access the tool and start using it in your practice.

Source: Informal live polling at a workshop attended by leaders from across Europe. The coaching-barriers question received 93 responses; the coaching-frequency question received 97 responses.