COVID-19 and Audiology: Closed Practices, Empty Campuses, Halted Research

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the country, most everyone has had to adapt in some way to accommodate this strange new normal—audiologists and hearing researchers included. With calls and procedures for self-quarantine and guidance for small businesses and universities varying from state to state, hearing care professionals may find themselves thrust into new situations. Some are being asked to adopt telepractice for the foreseeable future, and others are quickly switching to virtual-only learning for their audiology students. ASHA is constantly monitoring the situation as it evolves daily. For more information on how to approach telepractice services, see ASHA’s resource page here. Further, ASHA urges Congress to expand the ability of audiologists (and speech-language pathologists) to provide telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries in future legislation responding to COVID-19. Read more about recent legislative efforts and see how you can get involved. Recently, Leader Live spoke to audiologists and hearing researchers to provide a snapshot of COVID-19’s widespread impact: It’s forcing hearing health care professionals to adopt new strategies for providing patient-centered care while also keeping their own health and safety in mind. Abby Malawer, AuD, CCC-A, New York, New York (via email) “Patient-centered care is a phrase knit tightly to the diverse world of audiologic care. Some work environments focus heavily on diagnostic identification ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care News Private Practice Slider audiologist COVID-19 Telepractice Source Type: blogs