By Alaina Bassett

This article is a part of the May/June 2021, Volume 33, Number 3, Audiology Today issue.

Teamwork is essential in the management of patients with hearing and balance concerns. As the director of the Balance Center within the large academic medical center of Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California (Keck Medicine of USC), I am often coordinating care for patients with dizziness among the Department of Physical Therapy, Department of Occupational Therapy, and Department of Neurology.

To develop these relationships, I reached out to providers and delivered educational sessions to review the role audiologists can play for their patient populations. My goal with this outreach was to foster a strong multidisciplinary network to manage patient care. Within my own department, I implement the same strategies to strengthen the interdisciplinary relationship between audiologists and otolaryngologists.

The audiology and otolaryngology relationship is symbiotic, as both professions are operating in the ecosystem of hearing and balance health care. Our desire to provide the highest quality of hearing and balance health care to the patient populations we serve requires acknowledgment of the specific roles each profession plays in patient care.

To assure that this relationship is mutually beneficial, I wanted to explore the key components that encourage a strong interdisciplinary bond. I met with our four neurotologists and our otology physician assistant to explore our interdisciplinary relationship. During the conversation, we identified three key topics that facilitate a healthy working relationship between audiologists and otolaryngologists. These include the following:

  1. Establish effective communication between providers,
  2. Critically think to optimize workflow, and
  3. Integrate educational opportunities for professionals and trainees.

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