Impact of Audiology Assistants

Abstract

The use of assistants has been widely adopted across multiple disciplines such as speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. There is growing interest in exploring the role of audiology assistants across various practice environments. An overall national shortage of audiologists combined with an increased demand for audiologic services has progressively encouraged the profession to move toward greater efficiencies of care through an audiology assistant model (Bloom, 2009). Much is unknown about the audiology assistant model including the scope of practice and training that is necessary, however. Currently, the assistant model differs across states as well as medical institutions and private practices. The proposed work will have two parts. First, a thorough literature review of relevant research will be conducted and compared with what is assumed about the practice of assistants in healthcare. Second, a business process analysis will be conducted to review an assistant model within a higher education clinic at the University of Arizona. The business process analysis will review the financial and potential scheduling impacts of the hearing clinic before and after the employment of a single audiology assistant. The analysis will review data specifically examining whether having an assistant alleviates the audiologist’s time from performing routine tasks, in exchange for practicing at the top of their license by attending to patients with more complex appointments. Appointment types across the years 2016-2019 will be examined, assuming the appointments requiring more simple tasks will be allocated to the audiology assistant. A high-level revenue analysis of the clinic will be completed and reviewed to reflect the charges within the given time period selected. An increased level of delegation has been adopted in other healthcare fields with increasing employment rates of assistants across various disciplines, therefore the potential benefits of a similar position in the field of audiology could be positive.