By Renée Lefrançois
This article is a part of the September/October 2021, Volume 33, Number 5, Audiology Today issue.
There are several technological tools that can help clinicians provide hearing-health care, including hearing screening and diagnostic testing outside the traditional clinic. Methods can range from patients having diagnostic hearing testing done in person outside of the hearing clinic, to an entire tele-audiology process in which the clinician is not physically with the patient, but instead remotely connected.
A leading concierge audiology service in the United States is offering hearing tests, hearing aid fittings, adjustments, and ongoing care, all from the comfort of a patient’s home. The company recognized an unmet need to provide in-home hearing testing to those who are better served by home hearing care than the traditional in-clinic model.
Another example of this involves a business conducting a diagnostic hearing testing in the patient’s home, with the clinician not physically present. Instead, they use an online video link to interact with the patient, a true tele-audiology practice. A full tele-audiology workflow may not work for all clinicians or patients but can be an effective alternative for many.
Additionally, another option is to use an online screener to remotely screen and triage patients into hearing loss categories. For some patients, it may be appropriate to use SHOEBOX Online as a first step in their remote hearing aid journey.
