Mini Audiology Symposium

Distribution channels in the hearing aid industry continue to change. As more people purchase hearing devices through direct-to-consumer sites, retail dispensing channels and third-party hearing aid service providers, the medical community will continue to lose medical oversight of this population.

From a medical management perspective, getting a hearing aid does not provide the continuum of care necessary to mitigate lifelong issues associated with age-related hearing loss and its progression. Recognition of comorbid events associated with Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) suggests that current treatment protocols may not identify critical patient maladies. How might treatment protocols change for SNHL if audiology is to position itself as a primary driver of the medical management team for patients with SNHL?

In this session, we will explore what the continuum of care might look like for SNHL and tools to help medical professionals manage this cohort of patients.

It takes courage to make a choice that doesn’t follow the decisions of the many, but sometimes the harder choices are the right ones for growth. Highlighting the use of alternative programs to combat third-party providers, we will examine and illustrate the leadership process.

In an era of significant rapid change, this presentation explains why the critical component of leadership is the ability to lead change. We will examine the different roles of management and leadership in executing change. This approach stresses the importance of creating a climate to allow change, engaging the whole organization in the transformation and how to implement sustainable change into your organization.

Products and services can augment and elevate the patient journey, creating a unique experience and choosing what product and services are just the start of a well-structured plan for implementing new options. To be successful, you need to answer these four important questions.

Integrating a new testing format in a practice must be based on sound, diagnostic principles but also must align with a practice’s philosophy of care. We will brainstorm all the different iterations of changing testing protocols to enhance efficiency in an office.

Patient outcomes and revenue cycle must be prioritized to achieve success and longevity. With consumerism changing from a purchase to a subscription mentality, practices must rise to the occasion and provide options that appeal to a broader base.

Managing and providing care in a practice is often an emotional experience. Business decisions based on a thought or feeling are almost always flawed. Data-driven decisions have a much better chance of moving the practice toward a specific goal. But what data should be used, and how should it be analyzed? This presentation gives you all the foundational principles on KPIs needed to make the right decision at the right time.

Most audiologists use only a small portion of the scope of practice. As managers of a chronic condition, we can act as gatekeepers for many comorbidity-based referrals. With cognition as the highest concern for untreated hearing loss, learn how your practice’s participation in cognitive screening can act as a value-add proposition.

A team-based approach to hearing health care is the next wave of audiology adjustment. When a practice hires and trains an Aud Tech, what does that mean for the audiologist? Learn how to structure a team-based approach that appropriately acknowledges every member’s education and experience.