Clinician’s Corner

With Salima Jiwani, PhD, MSc, Reg. CASLPO

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Why Is February So Slow?

If you work in an Audiology clinic, you may have noticed a recurring trend: January and February can be unusually quiet. After the flurry of appointments in the fall and early winter, things seem to grind to a halt. Our waiting rooms seem to empty out. The phones ring less. The calendars open up. Why is February so slow?

Is it the weather? In most parts of Canada, winter is in full force by February. Cold, icy conditions make it harder, and likely, less appealing, for patients to venture out, especially older adults or those with mobility concerns. A hearing test or a hearing aid follow-up might not feel “essential” enough to justify braving the cold and the snow. So, they postpone. But it’s not just the weather. There seems to be a broader post-holiday lull at play. After the flurry of December social activities - family dinners, parties, travel, etc., people tend to hunker down in January. People retreat, budgets tighten, and priorities shift. For private-pay clinics, financial timing is likely a significant factor. OHIP does not cover audiology services, and December is a heavy-spending month for many patients. By January, wallets will be lighter, credit card bills will be arriving, and healthcare spending that isn’t urgent tends to be deferred.  

On top of fewer bookings, we also tend to see the highest rate of cancellations and no-shows during January and February. Bad weather is a frequent culprit, but the issue goes deeper; many patients book optimistically during the holiday season, only to lose momentum or reprioritize once the New Year begins. The new year’s energy can bring resolutions about health and wellness, but hearing care doesn’t always make the list, as it is still under-recognized as a key part of overall health and quality of life. Cold and flu season can also lead to last-minute rescheduling. This unpredictability makes it hard to plan staff schedules and meet monthly targets, compounding the effects of the seasonal dip.

So What Can We Do?

First, it’s helpful to acknowledge that this seasonal slowdown isn’t unique to audiology (CIHI, 2020). Many healthcare clinics, especially those in private practice or offering non-emergency services, experience a dip in January and February. Dentists, physiotherapists, and optometrists all feel the chill of the winter slump.

Do these slow months then offer an opportunity for us to be more proactive in raising hearing health awareness as an industry? Probably.  Here are a few strategies to consider:

  1. Raise Awareness Early and Often

    Use November and December to plant seeds. Patients may be more receptive to hearing care when actively engaging in social situations and noticing communication challenges. Encourage them to book their follow-up or fitting appointments for January or February before the holidays.
  2. Normalize the Experience

    Send out email reminders or newsletters that acknowledge how common it is to “put off” hearing appointments in the winter—but gently remind patients of the risks of waiting too long.
  1. Offer a Winter Health Check Promotion

    Not necessarily a discount, but a campaign that positions hearing care as part of staying healthy in winter — like flu shots or eye exams. “Start the year off right with a hearing health check” can go a long way.
  1. Partner With Other Health Providers

    Team up with local primary care offices, pharmacies, or senior living centers to cross-promote winter wellness campaigns. Educating the public that hearing health is healthcare can increase motivation to act.
  1. Emphasize the Convenience of Modern Audiology

    If available, highlight services like remote adjustments, home visits, or same-day fittings. Anything that reduces friction or makes coming in easier during winter can help.

While we may not fully solve the February slowdown, understanding it and planning for it should put us in a better position to ride out the quiet months and make the most of the rest of the year. This year, our clinic didn’t do a good job at getting ahead of this slowdown, but with these strategies in mind, maybe, just maybe, we can make hearing health part of next year’s resolutions.

Reference

  • Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2020). Seasonal Trends in Health Care Visits. https://www.cihi.ca
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About the author

Salima Jiwani, PhD, MSc, Reg. CASLPO

Salima Jiwani is the Founder/Director and Lead Audiologist at AudioSense Hearing, Balance & Concussion, an audiology clinic in Yorkville, Toronto. Salima has a keen clinical and research interest in disorders of the external, middle and inner ear, including hearing loss, auditory processing difficulties, tinnitus, sound sensitivities and post-concussion auditory deficits. Salima is passionate about understanding how the brain responds to sound after injury and in post-surgical management of cochlear implants. Salima works with children and adults of all ages at AudioSense, and provides her patients with industry-leading audiological care by leveraging her clinical, research and industry experience. She firmly believes in a holistic cross-collaborative team approach to audiological care and is always looking for outside-the-box evidence-based innovative ways to offer care to her patients. Outside of work, Salima continues to be engaged in advocacy initiatives to elevate the profession of audiology, give audiologists a voice and promote optimal audiological care for her patients. Outside of work hours, Salima is an advocate for the profession of audiology as current President of the Canadian Academy of Audiology and co-chair of the Science and Education Committee of the organization.  In these roles, Salima encourages clinical research in her field to elevate the profession, give audiologists a voice, and promote optimal audiological health care for patients.

https://audiosense.ca/contact-us/