Remote audiology guidelines vs Adjust Hearing

Adjust Hearing is an audiology service that is entirely remote. We have no physical clinics, nor do we have the capability to perform in-person appointments. Remote healthcare, although convenient for many, can be a risk for some, if not conducted appropriately. We have been meticulous in our approach to delivering a model that goes beyond current guidance to always ensure your safety.

Summary of guidance

The guidance on remote working in audiology published by the British Society of Audiology (BSA) and the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) is quite lengthy but we have spent the time to translate it in to terms you can understand.

Remote Audiology Guidance vs Adjust Hearing

In the following table we compare the recommended procedures and considerations issued by the BSA/BAA against our own practices here at Adjust Hearing.

Accessibility

We try to make our services as accessible as possible. Through the use of live captioning and live messaging we can overcome the difficulty of hearing what is being said by reading it on the screen instead. We can also accommodate interpreters for BSL or for those where English is a second language. We have the ability to record our appointments and send the file through to you. This allows you to review the consultation at a later date should you desire.

We also encourage our clinicians to use eye contact as much as possible by looking directly in to the camera. This helps the appointment feel more personable.

Digital Proficiency

A degree of digital proficiency is required for a successful telehealth appointment. We have created a quiz which may help you to determine if teleaudiology is for you. As well as that, our clinicians have access to a Mini Mental State Examination which can help determine cognitive function and suitability for remote care.

We try to make the process as clear as possible by providing you with all of the appropriate information in our confirmation and reminder emails. Should you ever have any difficulties during the booking process or connecting with one of our clinicians please email us at info@adjusthearing.com.

Risk Of Delayed Otoscopy

The guidelines identifies the risk of delayed otoscopy (looking in the ears) with individuals that use remote hearing care. However, users of Adjust Hearing need not worry. We have state-of-the-art equipment that can be sent out to your home address and guides you through conducting this yourself. The images are then uploaded to our system for review by our clinicians.

We also perform the Consumer Ear Disease Risk Assessment as part of our initial assessment which identifies if there are any risk factors. It is an accurate way of determining if you need to see a GP.

Risk of No/Delayed hearing assessment

The guidance states that an accurate calibrated home test can be used in place of an in-clinic assessment. We have developed our own home testing kit which far exceeds the minimum standard. It uses a start-of-the-art guided assessment that is simple and as effective as a hearing test within a clinic environment. Routine calibration and cleaning checks are performed by the clinician prior to it being sent out and it is sent off yearly for full calibration to the manufacturer.

Risk of no/delayed verification

For those with hearing aids verification is the process of measuring the output of the hearing aid against your prescription. It is a way of checking that the hearing aids are doing as they are supposed to. At present there is no way of performing this remotely. However, it is worth noting that only about half of all private providers do this test in clinic anyway. You have the ability to access aftercare at any time with one of our clinicians, we should be able to appropriately fine tune your hearing aids to your needs without this test. We can also perform in-situ audiometry with our bluetooth hearing aids which can help to improve the accuracy of your fitting.

Delayed hearing assessment for those with additional needs

Adults and children with additional needs can certainly benefit from telehealth appointments. However, these appointments should always supplement, rather than replace, in-clinic care. Book in for a free initial assessment to discuss how we can help you or your child.

Measuring outcome and quality of interaction

Using digital technology allows us to be much more quantitative in our approach to your healthcare. We use questionnaires and surveys to determine your satisfaction levels because it allows us to measure the success of your fitting without a physical appointment. You will receive follow up emails a short while after your first fitting encouraging you to complete these surveys. It helps us to help you.

Confidentiality and Consent

As an online provider of hearing care we take the protection of your personal data seriously. We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office and we have HIPAA and GDPR policies in place to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect your confidentiality and personal data. All video conferences are encrypted to meet the appropriate standards for delivering healthcare remotely.

Conclusion

It is essential that you feel comfortable with accessing your audiologist online. Hopefully by comparing our approach to current guidance, you can see we are doing everything we can to achieve the best possible outcome. If you wish to discuss our remote audiology services further you can book in for a FREE 15 minute initial assessment with our expert audiologists.