Remote
testing
WAHTS can be used as a teleaudiology or telemedicine tool, allowing patients to participate in audiometric testing and hearing protector fit testing while consulting with a provider in another location. The patient communicates with a hearing care provider through a tablet or computer with a camera. The hearing care provider can monitor the test and provide results immediately.
Teleaudiology lets people access audiologists remotely from their homes via technology like video conferencing. While it’s prevalence grew during COVID-19, some clinics were offering services before the pandemic and continue to do so after. Although anyone can benefit from access to telehealth or mobile clinics, it can be especially beneficial to certain populations, including:
Teleaudiology lets people access audiologists remotely from their homes via technology like video conferencing. While it’s prevalence grew during COVID-19, some clinics were offering services before the pandemic and continue to do so after. Although anyone can benefit from access to telehealth or mobile clinics, it can be especially beneficial to certain populations, including:
Rural Populations
People living in more rural or remote areas don’t have the same amount of access to healthcare as people living in more heavily populated areas, and that includes audiological care. A 2019 analysis found that more than half of all counties in the United States don’t have an audiologist. A separate study published in early 2024 also found that people in rural populations tend to have higher rates of hearing loss, so they are particularly in need of better access to hearing healthcare.
Patients with Limited Mobility
Telehealth audiology can also be a helpful option for patients with mobility issues, such as older adults with hearing loss who are home bound or in a nursing home. New hearing aid users often need multiple appointments as they get fitted and adjust to their devices. An older patient experiencing cognitive issues may need more appointments than average. However, caregivers may not have the time to bring patients in for multiple fine-tuning visits. Because nursing homes don’t tend to have on-site audiologists, it’s the caregivers who have to bring patients back and forth to appointments. Additionally, the trip itself could be stressful for someone with a disability.
Veterans
Veterans are disproportionally affected by both hearing loss and tinnitus. Additionally, the U.S. Veterans Health Administration found that more than one-third of the veterans they serve live in rural areas. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has embraced the use of mobile medical units to provide a variety of services, including audiological exams.
MEETING A NEED
Teleaudiology improves continuity of care. The benefits of teleaudiology are clear for people who have difficulty accessing an audiologist’s office due to location, illness, disability, work or other issues. Some people also might feel more relaxed being able to have an appointment in the comfort of their own home. Not only can telehealth reduce travel time, but it can also eliminate the costs of travel, including taking time off of work. This makes it more affordable and accessible for patients to attend both initial and follow-up appointments.
