Audiology Assistants: Results of a Multicenter Survey. 2018

Roanne Karzon, and Lisa Hunter, and Wendy Steuerwald
Saint Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis, MO.

Although audiologists have been using support personnel for over 45 yr, controversy and variability continue with respect to the entry-level education, training methods, and scope of practice. As part of a larger clinical practices survey, this report focuses on use of audiology assistants (AAs) for pediatric settings and "life-span" facilities that had a significant population of pediatric patients. A questionnaire was sent to 116 facilities in geographically diverse locations. Of the 25 surveys returned, 22 had sufficient data to be included for analysis purposes. The majority of respondents assigned duties to AAs as follows: assisting with conditioned play audiometry and visual reinforcement audiometry, infection control, mail management, disposing of protected health information, ordering supplies, calling families, fielding family phone calls, and stocking supplies. In addition, of the nine pediatric facilities that used AAs and reported job duties, the majority assigned troubleshooting equipment and auditory brainstem response (ABR) screening. Two of the five life-span facilities that reported job duties assigned several duties not assigned by any of the pediatric facilities: pure-tone screening, earmold impressions, assisting with videonystagmography and ABR, and in-house hearing aid repairs. Of facilities that use AAs and reported staffing, the ratio of AAs to audiologists ranged from 0.03:1 to 1:0.37, with an average of 0.15 for life-span facilities and 0.17 for the pediatric facilities. Minimum educational levels required were reported as follows: high school (n = 8), college (n = 3), certificate (n = 1), and no requirement (n = 1). Within a small sample size of pediatric and life-span facilities, 14 of 22 centers used AAs to perform a variety of direct patient care, indirect patient care, and clerical duties. Based on the duties recommended within the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines and by many states, expanded employment of AAs, as well as expansion of assigned duties should be considered. Data are needed to determine the appropriate ratio of AAs to audiologists within different settings and to determine the impact of AAs for accessibility, productivity, and profitability.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002983 Clinical Competence The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care. Clinical Skills,Competence, Clinical,Clinical Competency,Clinical Skill,Competency, Clinical,Skill, Clinical,Skills, Clinical,Clinical Competencies,Competencies, Clinical
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000488 Allied Health Personnel Health care workers specially trained and licensed to assist and support the work of health professionals. Often used synonymously with paramedical personnel, the term generally refers to all health care workers who perform tasks which must otherwise be performed by a physician or other health professional. Child Life Specialist,Allied Health Professional,Healthcare Assistants,Healthcare Support Workers,Population Program Specialists,Allied Health Professionals,Assistant, Healthcare,Assistants, Healthcare,Child Life Specialists,Health Personnel, Allied,Health Professional, Allied,Health Professionals, Allied,Healthcare Assistant,Healthcare Support Worker,Personnel, Allied Health,Population Program Specialist,Professional, Allied Health,Professionals, Allied Health,Program Specialist, Population,Program Specialists, Population,Specialist, Child Life,Specialist, Population Program,Specialists, Child Life,Specialists, Population Program,Support Worker, Healthcare,Support Workers, Healthcare,Worker, Healthcare Support,Workers, Healthcare Support
D001298 Audiology Allied medical specialty that studies hearing and hearing impairment.
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D019538 Health Care Surveys Statistical measures of utilization and other aspects of the provision of health care services including hospitalization and ambulatory care. Healthcare Surveys,National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey,National Hospital Discharge Survey,Care Survey, Health,Care Surveys, Health,Health Care Survey,Healthcare Survey,Survey, Health Care,Survey, Healthcare,Surveys, Health Care,Surveys, Healthcare

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