Telemedicine is being used in various forms nowadays.

But, its advancement in audiology is exceptional.

Teleaudiology is the new way of providing ideal and personalized audiology solutions for various hearing disorders.

So, in this blog, we are going to cover everything you need to know about teleaudiology.

What is teleaudiology?

Teleaudiology is the branch of modern healthcare services that allows patients to directly connect with certified audiologists via chat, voice, and video conferencing.

Means, patients can access the care they need at any time from anywhere in the world.

It just requires a reliable internet connection, a mobile or web app, and digital hearing aid or devices.

Teleaudiology solutions include –

• Hearing screenings

• Diagnostic testing

• Rehabilitation (Hearing aid adjustment and cochlear implant programming)

How does teleaudiology work and what is the role of the doctor?

There are various appointment methods for teleaudiology that depend on the patient's care needs and phase of the disorder.

Here we have listed the 3 most common and simple to perform teleaudiology appointments.

1. Over the website

Patients can easily conduct a virtual consultation with the audiologist by visiting the website of the clinic using their smartphone, tablet, or computer.

During online consultation, the role of a teleaudiology doctor is to,

• Analyze the hearing device of the patient

• Examine the challenges patients are facing in hearing

• Creating the most suitable care plan for the next stage

If the hearing disorders are in an early stage, this is one of the easiest ways for patients to get an online consultation with a teleaudiology doctor.

2. Over a teleaudiology app but no face-time

Hearing aid manufacturers have their own mobile app for that particular device which they offer to patients.

Through that app, patients can adjust the volume and program as per their comfort.

Furthermore, using the app, patients also can share their hearing challenges and queries by answering some questions.

Then, the app stores the data and shares it directly with the teleaudiologist.

The stored data helps the teleaudiology doctor to easily understand the patient's hearing condition.

For instance, here are the screenshots of the step-by-step teleaudiology appointment which we have taken from the teleaudiology app.

Step-1: A dashboard of the app in which patients can learn, adjust, and update the hearing aid.

Step-2: A guide to accessing audiology solutions online.

Step-3: The app allows patients to share their hearing challenges by answering some common questions.

Step-4: Now the first step for the patients is to define the hearing problem.

Step-5: After that, they need to provide the problem occurring time.

Step-6: Below are the last questions that patients need to answer in order to help the teleaudiology doctor in understanding care requirements.

Once the doctor or clinic receives the answers, they do the programming adjustments as per care needs and share those settings directly with the patients.

With just one click, patients can apply those settings to their hearing aid.

(Please note: This is the source of the images shared in this blog.)

3. Over a teleaudiology app with features like video conferencing

This is one of the best options for teleaudiology appointments.

It allows patients to connect with the doctor or healthcare professional over video conferencing.

As per the hearing challenges, doctors can adjust the hearing aid setting in real-time and get instant feedback from the patient.

Unlike the second option, there is no need for the audiologist to share the settings as the app automatically stores them into the system.

Why is teleaudiology important?

Not just a teleaudiology, but every telehealth solution is important in modern healthcare.

Because it offers several benefits to patients, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders under the same roof.

For instance,

A convenience to patients

• No need to travel for the audiologist's visit

• Ultimate flexibility in accessing care even in rural areas

• Reduces the medical costs due to no transportation costs

• No waiting room hassle

• On-demand care

Peace of mind for the audiologist

• The audiologist can provide care even from their homes

• Low overhead costs

• Allows to expand audiology care in rural areas

• Lowers the readmission of the patients which saves both time and costs

• Improves patient care experience and satisfaction

• High ROI

• Improves the patient retention rate

Is teleaudiology care solutions really effective?

Definitely yes. It delivers clinical outcomes in all senses!

Because teleaudiology performs the same way the traditional ones.

For instance,

• Both care approach needs hearing aids

• Both care approach includes tracking, analyzing, and addressing the hearing concerns

Still, if you have any doubts, let’s explore a real-world case study.

Name: A Review of Contemporary Teleaudiology

Done by: Hallym University

Outcomes: Teleaudiology has the potential to improve care efficiency, high satisfaction, lower expenses, and improve the quality of hearing.
Explore the entire case study here.

What is the future of teleaudiology?

The future is highly promising for teleaudiology solutions as patients with hearing disorders are more likely to go for an online audiology consultation.

But why?

As it offers easy access to care, flexibility in appointment scheduling, and real-time care solutions at an affordable price.

On the other hand, teleaudiology depends on two aspects – the mHealth app and digital hearing aids.

And eventually, the market is skyrocketing for both health tech.

As per the Global News Wire, “The audiology devices market size is expected to reach $16 billion by 2028”.

What’s more important is that there are only a few teleaudiology solution providers in the global market.

And if you are a healthcare entrepreneur or audiologist, this is the perfect business opportunity to cover the entire teleaudiology market by developing a teleaudiology mobile or web app.

Who are we?

We are an Ontario-based healthcare IT company performing health tech solutions for the past 8+ years with our visionary team of 50+ healthcare IT experts in order to transform our old-age healthcare ecosystem!

You must check out our white-label telemedicine solution.