Marketing Audiology • Members Views on the Profession ...audiology.asn.au/public/1/files/Publications/Audiology Now... · 18/ Digital marketing and social media ... organizers Helen

THE MAGAZINE OF AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA LTD. ISSUE 61 - WINTER 2015THE MAGAZINE OF AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA LTD. ISSUE 61 - WINTER 2015

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[email protected] 03 Audiology Now 61

Winter 2015 - What’s In This Issue

Answers for the Quiz Audiology Now 60 - Autumn 20151 - Name all four to achieve (T), 2 - T, 3 - F - University of Tasmania, 4 - T, 5 - T, 6 - T, 7 - T, 8 - T, 9 - F - Outreach Audiologyis a focus group for audiologists working in developing countries, 10 - T, 11 - T, 12 - F - Shouldn't be ignored, must considerhow results are presented and how the study implemented, 13 - T, 14 - T, 15 - T, 16 - F - Code of Conduct 1.3 is Membersshall provide… sufficient information to enable them to make informed decisions about their hearing health care.

26 DARWIN

OUTCOMES

10 HEARING AID

TECHNOLOGYLEVELS

14 MARKETINGIN AUDIOLOGY

From the Office05/ President's Report 06/ Finance, Audit and Risk Report 08/ CEO Report 09/ Letters to the Editor

Professional Issues10/ Choosing hearing aid

technologies - Jani Johnson 14/ Marketing: its not rocket science

- Katherine Toates 16/ Book Review

- Noelene Neilsen 18/ Digital marketing

and social media - Susan Grenness

21/ Infant Diagnostic Audiology - Marg Anderson

25/ IAA Conference: Independence Matters- John Pearcy

MemberActivities26/ Outcomes of the Darwin

Workshops 32/ Himalayan Hearing program 35/ Notes from the OHS 36/ Sean Fitzpatrick Rural & Remote

Student Scholarships39/ NSW Branch News 40/ Vic/ Tas Branch News 41/ NT Branch News 43/ SA Branch News44/ WA Branch News 45/ Qld Branch News 46/ Dates to Remember

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President's Report


LOUISE HICKSONAudiology Australia President

As I write I am attending theInternational Congress for theEducation of the Deaf (ICED) in Athens.This is a major congress held onlyevery 5 years and the keynote speakeron the first morning of the conferencewas none other than Australia's ownProf Greg Leigh, Director of the RIDBCCentre for Research and ProfessionalEducation in Sydney. He spoke on theimportance of recognizing diversity indeaf education. This highlighted for meyet again the very high profile thathearing research and practice fromAustralia has on the world stage. It wasalso announced at the congress thatthe next ICED is to be held in Brisbanein 2020.

This issue of Audiology Now has twothemes. The first is a summary of theoutcomes of the very successfulDarwin conference. My sincere thanksto all the Directors of Audiology

Australia for their input to thatmeeting, in particular the keyorganizers Helen Goulios and AmarjitAnand, and to all the members who soenthusiastically participated indiscussions. This mini-conference wasin a new interactive format for us andmembers were invited to give strategicinput to the directions of AudiologyAustralia. In this issue each of theworking group leaders, as well as ourCEO Tony Coles, present theirperspectives on the conference.

The second theme is a follow-on to thearticle included in the last edition calledthe Ethics of Marketing. This articleexamines what marketing means in thecontext of audiology and includesreviews of the new book by BrianTaylor called “Marketing in anAudiology Practice”, which hasgenerated a great deal of interest.

We hope you enjoy this edition andwe welcome any feedback [email protected] �

Invitation to AttendBOB COWANChair, National Conference Committee

“Hearing for Life”, Audiology Australia'sNational Conference and Workshops2016 will provide a great opportunityfor instructional courses, symposia,round tables, and presentations acrossa wide range of topical areas inaudiology. A very special feature of ourprogram is the Denis Byrne MemorialLecture, delivered by one of Australia'sforemost researchers or clinicians. Asin 2014, the pre-conference programwill again also feature the LibbyHarricks Memorial Oration, deliveredon behalf of the Deafness Forum, thepeak body for hearing healthcareconsumer groups in Australia.

These prestigious lectures will providethe perfect lead-in to the conferencescientific program, featuring invitedinternational keynote addresses, roundtable presentations on current topical

themes in audiology, and specialsymposiums on issues such as EarlyIntervention and Ageing and Cognition.The program will be rounded out withsubmitted free papers and posters ona range of themes, covering all aspectsof audiology, including basic science,clinical practice and rehabilitation,technology and professional issues andpractice.

New and recent graduates areencouraged to submit papers forinclusion in the Laurie Upfold Awardseries, which provides not only anopportunity to present at Australia'spremier audiology conference, but alsoincludes an award. Postersubmissions are also encouraged, andwill all be eligible for the conferenceBest Poster award.

Audiology Australia's NationalConference Committee is now invitingsubmission of abstracts for inclusion in

either the pre-conference Workshopsor Instructional Course Program or forthe Conference Scientific Program.Please see the conference website forspecifics.

The venue at the MelbourneConference and Exhibition Centre intrendy SouthBank is a state-of-the-artfacility, and promises exceptionalfacilities for the conference and for theTrade Exhibition, a fabulous feature ofeach Audiology Australia conference.And the Conference Dinner and Dance,to be held at the Crown Palladiumballroom, is a great opportunity to notonly walk the red carpet but to enjoy agreat evening of fun with friends andcolleagues.

So, put the conference dates in yourdiary now, and look forward to seeingyour colleagues at Audiology Australia's2016 meeting “Hearing for Life”. �


Audiology Now 61 06 www.audiology.asn.au

BOB COWANChair

As the financial year 2014/15 closesout, we can reflect on the whirlwind ofactivities of the past 18 months - a newcorporate name, new corporate logo,revised Constitution, updatedStandards, and importantly, a new CEO at the helm to work with the newBoard installed last November. The year has ended with a modestfinancial surplus, and a full set ofaudited Financial Statements will bepresented to the members at the AGMin November 2015. Audiology Australiais in a strong financial position, allowingthe Board scope for work on projectsin its four strategic areas, as washighlighted at the Darwin mini-conference attended by manymembers.

So, welcome to a new financial yearand what a pleasure to report that theBoard has agreed that membershipsubscriptions will only have a small CPI increase for the 2015/16 year.

Remember, your membersubscriptions are the lifeblood of yourprofessional association, enabling theBoard to run and staff a professionaloffice, and to address the Strategicissues challenging our professionand association. Your membersubscriptions also ensure your access to the International Journal of Audiology and other continuingbenefits of membership of theInternational Society of Audiology.So don't delay, you can pay yoursubscriptions on-line through theAudiology Australia website.

We are continuing our activities inensuring that “Audiology Australia” and our new logo are properlytrademarked by IP Australia, and aguidelines document re use of thetrademarks for individual membersand their businesses is indevelopment.

The FAR Committee has been activelyaddressing the reputational and otherrisk issues to Audiology Australia and

its members associated with thebusiness and practice issues as raised in the Radio National Program aired inApril this year, and in changes in hearing healthcare delivery modelssuch as hearing aids being providedthrough pharmacies, and on-lineassessment and device fitting services.Discussions have been held with theACCC and other agencies, and aMember survey on related issues willbe released. As noted in previousreports, information from the surveywill be used to develop a white paperconsolidating member's concerns andgaining an evidence base oncommission-based practices beingencountered by members. Membersare encouraged to contact the FARCommittee directly to assist in thisactivity - contact details are provided in this Audiology Now or on thewebsite. �

Finance Audit & RiskCommittee Report

Above/ "The Faces of the School of Audiology - four decades later" - Angela Marshall, Field Rickards, Judy Lockie. Turn to the Vic Chapter News for more details.



TONY COLES Chief Executive Officer

Firstly, thank you to the manymembers who have welcomed me toAudiology Australia. It is a privilege tobe able to serve members and theprofession in my capacity as ChiefExecutive Officer. I am very muchlooking forward to working with theBoard of Directors to ensure thatAudiology Australia continues tosupport audiologists to deliver thehighest standards of person-centredcare.

In my first week at Audiology Australia, I was fortunate enough to have theopportunity to attend and present atthe Issues in Professional PracticeSeminar and Workshops held inDarwin. The first day comprised aseries of invited speakers who wereeach able to set the scene on a host of topical issues, including deliveringservices in rural and regional areas,changing demographics and an ageingpopulation, professional conduct andethical practice, and how technologiesare shaping the future of audiology.

While the speaker sessions on the firstday were stimulating and engaging, thereal highlight was the final sessionfacilitated by Dr Helen Goulios entitled“Issues in Professional Practice forAudiology Australia”. Helen invited

Directors from the Board, togetherwith me, to take questions from thedelegates around how AudiologyAustralia can better serve its membersand the profession more broadly. I really appreciated the chance to heardirectly from members what they seeas some of the issues that face theprofession, particularly in relation topublic perceptions of the profession,and ethical issues facing the professionand industry more broadly.

I have also had the opportunity tomeet with members at various Chapterevents. This has enabled me to hearmore about local issues for membersand discuss ways in which the NationalOffice can improve its services. I amvery interested in ways in which we can better use technologies for CPDactivities, such as webcasting andwebinars, which would enable allmembers to access Audiology Australiaevents online.

Audiology Australia recently emailed all members with an invitation toparticipate in an online survey.Feedback from this survey is crucial forunderstanding where we are currentlymeeting the needs of our members,and areas where we need to improve.I will be reporting a summary of thefindings from the survey in the nextedition of Audiology Now. The findingswill also be used by the Board of

Directors at their next StrategicPlanning session in September.As Audiology Australia is a memberbased organisation, it is important thatthe direction that the society takes isdriven by the membership.

It is also important to remember thatthe profession does not operate inisolation. While Audiology Australia asa self-regulating body has adopted aCode of Ethics and Code of Conduct,as well as Clinical and OperationalPractice Standards for Audiologists, the Office of Hearing Services is keento work with the hearing health sectormore broadly to develop NationalPractice Standards. The Standards willcomplement the OHS Service DeliveryFramework and build on clinical servicedelivery protocols and best practicestandards developed by hearing healthcare professional bodies. To this end,Audiology Australia has been invitedonto the OHS Audiology ExpertReference Group to assist in thedevelopment of the Standards. We willbe sure to keep members updated asthe Standards are progressed. �

Chief ExecutiveOfficer Report

Above/ Helen Goulios (Left) leads the Open Forum. Jacy Fellows (Right) reports back on her workshop.


Dear Editor,

I felt very privileged to have attendedthe timely seminar on Issues inProfessional Practice organised byAudiology Australia in Darwin on the6th and 7th of June. Much neededopen and frank discussions took placeduring the sessions. It was veryrefreshing to see Audiology Australiataking genuine steps to become amember centred association.

My sincere thanks to the Boardmembers who worked tirelessly tomake it happen, and also dedicate somuch of their own time to ourprofessional association. It was a greatpleasure to meet recently appointedCEO Dr Tony Coles who hasdemonstrated a genuine interest towork for our cause.

Many challenges are ahead of us toensure that audiology becomes aprofession which is recognised andrespected for all the good workaudiologists have done, and continueto provide to the community. We needto work together to protect our field ofexpertise and to ensure that other

groups do not over step professionalboundaries, risking public harm anddisrepute our profession. The lack ofregulation in our profession meansthat there are no defined boundariesbetween audiologists and other stakeholders in the hearing industry. This ismaking it increasingly difficult for manyemployed audiologists to stand up fortheir code of ethics and to keep theinterest of their patients above that oftheir employers.

Discussions during the seminar made it evident that there has been muchconfusion between the differencesbetween a registered profession and a self-regulated profession. Self-regulation means that the rules ofconduct are defined and enforced by aprofessional association, but only uponits members. Membership to aprofessional association is voluntary sothat non-members are not bound tothe rules. For audiologists, it meansthat if we become self-regulated andAudiology Australia is the regulator asproposed in the past, non-memberscan continue to step into our fieldwithout any means to control it.

Registration on the other hand is notbound by a professional associationbut rather by the government. In ourcase the registration organ is AHPRA(Australia Health PractitionersRegulation Agency). Only professionalsregistered with AHPRA are allowed toexercise their respective professionand others stepping into the field arein breach of legislation.

The more I discuss and learn about it,the clearer it becomes to me that toseek registration is the best path foraudiologists moving forward .Registration, however, is a complexprocess but there may be a window ofopportunity for us to become part ofAHPRA in the future. It may be a longwinding road but it should pay off andwill ensure that the next generation ofaudiologists will be prouder of theirchosen profession.

All in all I left the Darwin seminar, likeall the other participants, full ofoptimism for a brighter future foraudiologists.

Dr Celene McNeill


Letters to the EditorWe were delighted to receive many positive comments about the new “Letters to theEditor” column. Its continuing success depends on you, so please keep those topicalletters coming. Any letters published reflect the opinions of the author and do notnecessarily reflect the views of Audiology Australia Ltd or its Board of Directors.Members wishing to express their views should write to [email protected]. Responses are provided by the Editorial Board.



BY JANI A. JOHNSON,JINGJING XU, ROBYN M. COXUniversity of Memphis, TN, USA

Modern hearing aids possess complexfeatures that are intended to improvehearing in a variety of listeningenvironments. Major manufacturersmarket families of hearing aids that aredescribed as spanning the range frombasic technology to premiumtechnology. Premium technologyhearing aids include features that arenot found in basic technologyinstruments. These premium featuresare intended to yield additionalimprovements to hearing in daily lifecompared to basic technology devices.Not surprisingly, these advancementsadd to the overall cost of the hearingaids, often by a lot. One of thechallenges faced by hearing careproviders is how to choose the level ofhearing aid technology to recommendto their patients. Ideally, this isaccomplished by listening to patientsand choosing the most cost-effectivetechnology to meet their individualneeds and preferences.Unfortunately, there is a dearthof independent researchabout the effectiveness ofpremium feature devicescompared to basicfeature devices. As aresult, practitionersare forced to relymostly on unverified manufacturerclaims about feature benefits whenthey decide which hearing aid(s) torecommend to patients. This, ofcourse, is not an evidence-backedbasis for recommending theseimportant healthcare devices. To meetpatients' needs, hearing aid providersshould have access to scientificallybased evidence about the real worldimprovements that can be delivered bythe premium-feature and basic-featureinstruments they recommend. Thispaper summarizes results of researchdesigned to address this lack ofevidence.

We compared the effectiveness ofpremium-feature and basic-featurehearing aids in four real-world listeningchallenges that modern hearing aidsclaim to address: speechunderstanding, listening effort,localization, and acceptability ofeveryday sounds. For each topic thefollowing question was asked:

Do premium-feature hearing aidsyield better outcomes than basic-feature hearing aids for older adultswith mild to moderate sensorineuralhearing loss?

Research Participants and Procedure Forty-five older adults (30 males and15 females) with essentiallysymmetrical mild to moderatesensorineural hearing loss wereincluded in this study. Participantswore four different pairs ofcommercially available mini behind-the-ear thin-tube hearing aids in theirdaily lives for one month each. Thesehearing aids exemplified basic-leveland premium-level technology fromeach of two major manufacturers,released in 2011 and still in use. Basicand premium devices from the samemanufacturer were identical in

appearance, but there were substantialdifferences in advertised features andfunctions, such as number ofcompression channels, function ofdirectional technologies, and types ofnoise reduction strategies. More detailsare given in Cox et al. (2014).Participants were not aware of thetechnology differences among thehearing aids or the primary purpose ofthe study. Outcomes were evaluated atthe end of each one-month trial.

The strategy for outcomemeasurement was designed using twotypes of measures for each domain:laboratory testing and standardizedquestionnaires. Statistical analysestested the primary hypothesis thatoutcomes would be better forpremium-feature hearing aidscompared to basic-feature hearingaids.

Speech Understanding. One of the major problems reported

by people with hearing impairment isdifficulty understanding speech in

various settings with backgroundnoise, so comparing speech

understanding outcomes wasobviously important. Briefly,

we quantified speechunderstanding in the

laboratory using anAmerican dialectversion of the Four

Alternative Auditory Feature test(AFAAF; Foster & Haggard, 1987; Xu &Cox, 2014) in three listeningenvironments (soft, average, and loud).Quadrant A of Figure 1 depicts meanspeech understanding in the averagelistening environment in unaided andaided conditions. Results of statisticalanalyses showed that aided listeningyielded significantly better speechunderstanding scores than unaidedlistening for all three environments.However, scores were not significantlydifferent for premium and basichearing aids for any of the 3 testenvironments.

Choosing hearing aidtechnology for olderadults: examination ofuser outcomes

Premium

Advanced

Entry

Basic



We also measured speechunderstanding in the real world byasking participants to respond toquestionnaires. The Abbreviated Profileof Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB; Cox &Alexander, 1995); the Speech, Spatial,and Qualities of Hearing Scale - Benefit(SSQ-B; Gatehouse & Noble, 2004;Jensen et al., 2009) and the Device-Oriented Subjective Outcome Scale(DOSO; Cox, Alexander, & Xu, 2014) allhave subscales that assess real-worldspeech understanding. To provide asingle comprehensive benefit/deficitscore for each hearing aid, data werecombined from the speechunderstanding subscales of eachquestionnaire. Quadrant A of Figure 2depicts the resulting composite benefitscores for basic-feature and premium-feature hearing aids. On average,participants reported significantimprovements in real-world speechunderstanding with the researchhearing aids, but benefit was notperceived to be significantly differentbetween basic-level and premium-levelhearing aids.

Listening Effort. Improved hearing is not limited tobetter speech understanding. It hasbeen proposed that advancedprocessing applied by high-technologypremium hearing aids might reducethe amount of mental effort that isrequired for listening even whenimprovements in hearing are not

captured using speech recognitionscores (e.g., Bentler et al. 2008). Wemeasured listening effort in thelaboratory alongside the speechunderstanding test in the threelistening environments. After groups ofspeech understanding test words werepresented, participants were asked torate the effort it took for them tounderstand the group. They basedtheir answers on a 7-point scale oflistening effort. Quadrant B of Figure 1depicts the mean listening effort ratingin the average listening environment.Listening with hearing aids yieldedsignificantly reduced listening effortcompared to unaided listening for thesoft and average environments.However, as above, ratings were notsignificantly different for premium andbasic hearing aids in any of the threeenvironments.

Participants responded to twoquestionnaires that containedquestions about listening effort in dailylife: the SSQ-B and the DOSO. Listeningeffort subscales from these two

questionnaires were combined.Quadrant B of Figure 2 shows theaverage composite benefit scores forthe two aided conditions. Althoughlistening effort was significantly lowerwhen using the research hearing aidscompared to unaided listening, onceagain, scores were not significantlydifferent between the premium andbasic hearing aids.

Localization. An additional important function ofhearing is the ability to accuratelydetect the direction from which soundis coming. Using hearing aids,especially behind-the-ear (BTE) stylehearing aids, is known to have anegative effect on natural localizationcues. Current hearing aids, especiallypremium-feature hearing aids, havetechnologies that are designed totarget improved sound localization.Localization performance wasmeasured in both quiet and noisyenvironments in the laboratory. Briefly,low-frequency and high-frequencyfiltered speech utterances(approximately 1.33 seconds induration) were presented fromloudspeakers placed in a circlesurrounding the participant. For thenoisy environment, high and lowfrequency masking noises werepresented from 2 additionalloudspeakers from the back of theparticipant. After each test stimulus,participants indicated which speakerthat they believed the utterance

originated from. We scoredlocalization performance using amethod in which a larger numberindicates more localization errors.Quadrant C of Figure 1 shows themean scores for the unaided and thetwo aided conditions with high and lowfrequency test stimuli in quiet andnoise. Unaided and aided localizationperformance was not significantlydifferent in any test condition.However, premium-feature hearingaids outperformed the basic-featurehearing aids when high frequencystimuli were used and the testenvironment was quiet. It can be seenin Figure 1 that the difference, thoughstatistically significant, was small.

Real-world localization data includedtwo SSQ-B subscale scores for spatialhearing. The mean scores for the twoaided conditions are shown inQuadrant C of Figure 2. Statisticalresults showed that localizationperformance was significantlyimproved when using the researchhearing aids. However, once again, theamount of improvements with thepremium and basic hearing aids werenot significantly different in the real-world.

Acceptability of Everyday Sounds.Acceptability of every day non-speechsounds has been found to relate tohearing aid use and satisfaction.Several advanced hearing aid featureshave been developed to improve

Figure 1/ Mean performance on four laboratory measures for unaided and the twoaided conditions. The following test conditions represent performance on eachmeasure: A & B: average listening environment; C: quiet environment/high frequencystimuli; D: stimuli with average intensity/transient duration. Scales for localization andlistening effort were reversed so that taller bars indicate better performance for allmeasures.



acceptability of non-speech sounds ofvarying intensity and duration. Wequantified acceptability of everydaysounds in the laboratory using amethod we developed called theSound Acceptability Test (SAT). In theSAT, acceptability is based on anindividual's total impression of a sound.Although related to aversiveness,annoyance, and loudness tolerance,acceptability also comprises aspects ofindividual experience, preferences,emotional reaction to sound, andperceptions of sound quality,naturalness, clarity, etc. For thismeasure, we presented 21 everydaysounds (e.g., cleaning with an uprightvacuum cleaner, hitting wood with ahammer, rattling silverware in a metalpan) with varying durations (transient,episodic, continuous) and intensities(soft, average, loud) for eachparticipant in each condition. Soundswere presented in real-time. After eachpresentation, participants were askedto rate the acceptability of each sound.They based their answers on a 0-10scale of acceptability. Quadrant D ofFigure 1 presents an example of themean rating scores computed for eachlistening condition for averageintensity/transient duration sounds.Results of statistical analyses showedthat aided listening yielded significantlymore acceptable average/transientnon-speech sounds compared tounaided listening, but significantly lessacceptable average/continuous andloud/episodic sounds. As was observedfor the other laboratory measures,scores were not significantly different

for premium and basic hearing aids forany of the intensity/durationcategories.

Participants responded toquestionnaires that contained itemsabout sound acceptability in daily life:they indicated how much benefit (ordeficit) in sound acceptability that theyobserved from the hearing aids byresponding to the APHAB Aversivenesssubscale and the DOSO Quietnesssubscale. Scores from these twoquestionnaires were combined.Quadrant D of Figure 2 shows theaverage composite sound acceptabilityscore for each of the four aidedconditions. As above, these scoreswere not significantly different forpremium and basic conditions.

We also administered the Profile ofAided Loudness (PAL; Palmer et al.,1999) to assess loudness and loudnesssatisfaction for soft, average, and loudsounds. Aided soft and average non-speech sounds were significantlylouder than unaided sounds, and allcategories of sounds were reported asmore satisfactory when aided.However, the loudness ratings andloudness satisfaction scores from thePAL were not significantly different forpremium and basic hearing aids.

Discussion and CommentsOur results support the assertion thathearing aids are beneficial in multiplereal-world domains for older adultswith hearing loss. For theseparticipants, hearing aids effectively

improved speech understanding,reduced listening effort, maintainedlocalization performance, andimproved acceptability of someeveryday non-speech sounds.Additional details about theprocedures used in this study havebeen provided in recent presentationsand publications that are available fordownload on the Hearing Aid ResearchLab's website at www.harlmemphis.org.In addition, our team is working on aseries of articles that will discuss indepth the methods and resultssummarized above. These will beavailable over the next year.

It might be surprising that, despite thebroad scope of outcomes that wereevaluated, and the careful attentionthat we paid to optimizing all thehearing aid fittings, there was minimalevidence of greater improvements inhearing when older individuals withmild to moderate sensorineuralhearing loss used hearing aids withpremium technology versus basictechnology. In fact, only one contrivedsituation (localization of high frequencyfiltered speech in a quiet laboratory)demonstrated better performance withpremium hearing aids compared tobasic and this incrementalimprovement did not translate toperceived benefit in the real-world.

When choosing which hearingtechnology to recommend for an olderpatient, hearing care providers need toconsider the patient's individual needsand then help the patient perform acost-benefit analysis of the productsthat are available. Because basic-feature hearing aids are less costlythan premium-feature hearing aids, theamount of perceived benefit per unitcost would likely be higher for the basicdevices. Therefore, it would beexpected that patients will find them tohave higher value than premium-feature hearing aids.

However, it is important forpractitioners to keep in mind that theknowledge and skills required forhearing rehabilitation with hearing aidsare highly specialized. Althoughpatients might like their new hearingaids, they don't automatically knowhow to get the best use of them.Audiologists know more than any otherprofessionals about how to helpindividuals with hearing loss. It isimportant that practitioners stopfocusing on technology minutia andrefocus on patients, listening to themand teaching them about

Figure 2/ Mean real-world aided benefit outcome scores for the two aided conditions.Taller bars indicate more benefit.


communication and how hearingdevices can be helpful, or not, and why.Professional services that follow best-practice, patient-oriented protocols canbe time-consuming, but they areessential to obtaining an optimaloutcome for each patient, no matterwhich feature level is recommended.Although the results of this researchare clear, further research is needed onthis topic with other hearing aids andother manufacturers. To make valid,cost-effective recommendations abouthearing healthcare devices to patients,hearing care providers cannot relysolely on manufacturer marketingclaims. Instead, practitioners must insiston timely, independent, scientificallycredible research that demonstrates

the effectiveness of those hearingtechnologies that they recommended.

Send correspondence to Dr Jani A.Johnson, email: [email protected]

Acknowledgement: This research wasfunded by a grant to the third authorfrom the U. S. National Institute onDeafness and other CommunicationDisorders (R01DC011550).

ReferencesBentler, R., Wu, Y. H., Kettel, J., & Hurtig, R. (2008).Digital noise reduction: outcome from laboratory and field studies. Int J Audiol, 47(8),447-460. Cox, R. & Alexander, G. (1995): The AbbreviatedProfile of Hearing Aid Benefit. Ear & Hearing;16:176-186.Cox, R., Alexander, G., & Xu, J. (2014). Developmentof the Device-Oriented Subjective

Outcome (DOSO) Scale. J Am Acad Audiol, 25(8),727-736.Cox, R., Johnson, J., & Xu, J. (2014). Impact ofadvanced hearing aid technology on speechunderstanding for older listeners with mild-to-moderate, adult-onset, sensorineural hearing loss.Gerontology, 60 (6), 557-568.Foster, J. & Haggard, M. (1987). The four alternativeauditory feature test (FAAF) linguistic and psychometric properties of thematerial with normative data in noise. Br J Audiol, 21, 165-174.Gatehouse, S. & Noble, W. (2004). The Speech,Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ). Int J Audiol, 43, 85-99.Jensen, NS., Akeroyd, MA., Noble, W. & Naylor, G.(2009). The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ) as a benefitmeasure. Fourth NCRAR International Conference. Portland, OR, USA.Xu, J. & Cox, R. (2014). Recording and evaluation ofan American dialect version of the four alternative auditory feature test. J Am AcadAudiol, 25(8), 737-45. �

The HEARing CRC was one of only tworecipients of an Excellence inInnovation Award, presented by theMinister for Industry and Science theHon Ian Macfarlane at the 2015Cooperative Research CentresAssociation Conference Dinner atParliament House.

The HEARing CRC received the Awardin recognition of its HEARnet Onlineand HEARnet Learning websiteinitiatives, that have proven effective inconnecting the public, hearing healthprofessionals and researchers with thelatest independent research findingsand information about hearing loss,the clinical treatment of hearing lossand available hearing technologiessolutions, such as the cochlear implant.

HEARnet Online (www.hearnet.org.au)has a wealth of independentinformation about different types ofhearing loss together withcommercially-available technologiesthat are applicable to each respectivetype. There is also practical informationfor hearing health professionals to helpprovide assistance in the personalmanagement of hearing loss.

HEARnet Learning(www.hearnetlearning.org.au) wasspecifically established to ensure thatHEARing CRC evidence-based, researchoutcomes are translated into clinical

practice by hearing healthprofessionals. At the same time, thesemodules assist them with their ongoingprofessional development and helpdeliver better outcomes to theirpatients.

Working closely with AudiologyAustralia, HEARing CRC has developedclinical training modules that provideup-to-date information on anexpanding array of specialist topicssuch as cochlear implant and hearingaid fitting, patient-centric rehabilitation

for managing hearing loss in infants,adults and the elderly, as well asdiagnosis of Central AuditoryProcessing Disorders in children andthe elderly.

As end-user members of the HEARingCRC, Audiology Australia and theNational Acoustic Laboratories (theresearch division of Australian Hearing)have played an important role indeveloping and accrediting themodules for continuing professionaldevelopment. �

CRCA Excellence in InnovationAward recognises HEARnet


Above/ Greg Lawrence, Helen Goulios and Bob Cowan receive the Awards from Hon Ian McFarlane.


Marketing - It's not Rocket Science


BY KATHERINE TOATES

Katherine has 20 years' experience innational and international B2B/B2Ccorporate marketing for multimillion-dollar corporations across a diverserange of industries. She is a specialist inthe technical, conceptual and contentdevelopment of sales-driving collateral,brand development and digitalmarketing. She first became involvedwith audiology, as Marketing Manager forAustralian Hearing and currently worksfor Phonak Australia.

I've worked in the hearing healthcareindustry in Australia for almost 7 yearsnow and I've seen a lot change andevolve. One thing that hasn't changedis how many independent clinics stillrespond with a skewed expression ontheir face when the topic of marketingis approached.

What still amazes me is when clinicsare asked what marketing activity theyhave planned, many drop their eyes tothe floor or start to shuffle closer tothe exit to wrap up the conversationquickly. I have asked myself many times- why this reaction? So I've gonestraight to the source for anexplanation. These are some of theresponses:

“I don't have time”; “I'm too busy working on the day to day running ofthe clinic”; “It's too expensive and it

doesn't work”; “I just don't know whereto start, so I don't”; “I'm a clinician, nota marketer”. “I'm going to put an ad inthe paper next week - promise”; “Wedon't need to market ourselves, we dojust fine without it”; “It's too hard”. Anyof these resonate with you at all?

I realise that it's probably not idealpreaching that marketing isn't hardwhen I have been doing it for over 20years. Truthfully, marketing can becomplex, time consuming andexpensive at times. But anything canbe if there is no thought or effortapplied - true?

If you strip marketing down to its barebones there are just 3 key actionpoints that should become commonpractice. In fact, this is not just formarketing but business in general,even life experiences. Plan it. Do it.Review it.

PLAN IT, DO IT, REVIEW IT. The first is to plan. Very little isachieved if there is no plan ordirection. Even if it's for just 3 monthsat a time - have a plan. The second isto actually execute the plan. There isno point in having a plan that doesn't get the opportunity to take flight andwork for your cause.

Thirdly, review. Unless you go back tosee whether it was worth the exercise,to identify what worked, what didn't

and for you to determine what impacta campaign had on your business, then you continue to fly blind and can onlymake assumptions.

Perhaps these key points may not beanything that you didn't know already.Yet many in the industry don't practice this simplistic foundation to marketing.For others who have taken the leap offaith and are actively dabbling inmarketing and promoting their brand,here is some food for thought.

Today's customer is everywhere-onlineand offline. He or she moves from one marketing channel to another, jumpingfrom an email inbox, a Facebook feed,to a favourite blog, to Google, to awebsite, then back to social media orGoogle, to watching TV, listing to radio,reading the paper and then back toGoogle -all without losing muchmomentum. Marketing is no longerabout being multi-channel it's aboutbeing omnichannel.

THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCETo meet your customers wherever theymight be, it's important to deliver anintegrated customer experience across



as many platforms as possible. Thecustomer should experience some kindof offer, service, have a purpose andfind a solution. It's not about 'one hitwonders' and putting a singleadvertisement in the paper ormagazine and hoping for the best. It isabout having a frequent, consistentmessage across a select range ofmarketing channels. It is alsoimperative to have content acrossthese channels that is useful, eyecatching, informative and engaging.It doesn't stop there either, yourcustomers experience continues whenthey call for an appointment, come fora hearing test or fitting and then inturn becomes a new valued client. Thisis the cross over between clientacquisition and client retention. Onceyou've got them, you then need tokeep them engaged.

There are a couple of points here that I am trying to make. A customerexperience starts when theyfind you or you find them.Make this initial 'romancing'period count. Every touchpoint that follows is just asimportant as the onebefore. Marketing is not justabout the campaign oractivity, it's about the entireclient journey and each stepyou and your team take tobuild that relationship witha client. If a less thanpositive experiencehappens to a client at anypoint during this journeythe relationship becomesstrained and they may decidethat you aren't the one for them. Afterall the time, effort and resources usedto get to this point, it is crucial toensure that all customer facingprocesses meet client expectations.

In keeping tabs on all of this there isanother crucial element to marketingthat should always be top of mind andthat is what is appropriate and whatisn't. To market any item, service, orbusiness it should be true to the brandand to remain ethical and appropriatein nature. This is less of a marketingstrategy and more of a philosophy. Itlooks to promote honesty, fairness,and responsibility.

It is a notoriously difficult subjectbecause everyone has subjectivejudgments about what is “right” andwhat is “wrong.” For this reason, thereare no hard and fast list of rules.

The world is indeed a small place andcommunication travels at light speedover vast distances these days. Goodcreativity is a balance of select targetmarkets, associated audiences,business practices, legal and regulatoryrequirements and desired outcomes. A lot to keep balanced I know! Multipleresources are available online and it'snot an unreasonable request thatshould you find it hard to navigatethrough this area there areprofessionals within local communityand the industry to assist.

THE FOUNDATIONS OFMARKETING Casting a wider net, let's alsolook at some more traditionalmarketing areas that oftenget left behind, forgotten orperhaps at times deemed alittle less important or notrelevant. It's always beingdebated how many

'P's of marketing there are, but let'swork with these 7 - Product, Place,Price, Promotion, Process, Positioningand People. They are all veryimportant.

It's about a holistic, cohesive approachand taking into consideration all 7 key areas when developing your marketing plan. Each area needs to support another for it to have a chance atproducing the best possible outcome.

For example: you have just invested ina marketing campaign and its beenquite successful with a lot of activitynoted on your website, and thenumber of appointments for producttrials as a result of the campaign are solid. On review after completing theappointments, the post campaignevaluation revealed that only a fewpurchases were made and the returnon the investment put into the

campaign didn't' break even. Why?It's a very real expectation thatsometimes despite our best effortscampaigns are not always as successfulas we would like. Often the campaignitself takes all the heat. There are manythings to consider and review in thisspecific space but you know what? Often we don't see the forest for thetrees, yet it's right there in front of us.

The reasons can be vast and varied.Could it be that the type of audienceyou attracted in the promotional stagewas in fact not the clientele you werelooking for; what other activity or

promotion was going on in the samearea; were the products and

services you offered a goodsolution that met the needs ofthese customers; was pricing aconcern; were staff friendly andhelpful the day of your clientsappointment, did they feelwelcomed; was your clinic in

the middle of renovations orperhaps may have been a

bit drab, untidy and notvery inviting; Is yourteam appropriately

dressed for work - do youlook the part; How wasinformation packaged andpresented to prospectiveclients, did you offer supporting brochures andother supporting materialto help them make aninformed decision.

If I can use an analogy,marketing is a bit likebaking a dessert without

having a recipe. You may also nothave access to all the ingredientseither. You need to work it out as yougo tweaking the marketing mix a bithere and a bit there. You have funworking on each element, use a bit ofinitiative, creativity, colour andengaging content. Then once it's alldone you get to find out if it's anygood. Each time you make that dessertyou get better and better at it and youwork out what ingredients and howmuch of these ingredients make yourbusiness tick.

There are so many areas of marketingthat it's hard to cover everything…. Soat the very least I hope that at somepoint perhaps this read has made youthink about things a little differentlyand given you a bit of encouragement.Remember - it's not rocket science. Justplan it, do it, review it. �



Book Review: Marketingin an Audiology Practice By Brian Taylor

Book Reviewed byNoelene Nielsen

Times are changing for Audiology andit is time we stepped up to thepossibilities our profession ofaudiology offers. The premise of thisbook “Marketing in an AudiologyPractice” by Brian Taylor, is thataudiology has the possibility to be anautonomous profession. Thisbook explains how it is possiblefor audiologists to thrive in thismarket of device focused servicesand medical models driven bysource of funding, that viewaudiology as a technical servicenot a profession.

This book was written for bothaudiologists contemplatingindependent practice or already inindependent practice. However itprovides guidance and strategiesthat all audiologists would benefitfrom, on how to develop ourbrand as a profession, whetheryou work in a hospital setting, foran ENT clinic, University clinic oreven for Australian Hearing.

Over the last 36 years, I have triedto read every book and articlewritten on audiology practice andmanagement. It was amazement Ifelt as I read this book. I wasexcited. This excitement wassustained as I went from one chapter to the next.

Our profession has a unique set ofskills that audiologists are very poor atcommunicating to others. Our focushas been on devices and medicalapplications not branding ourselves ascompetent professionals who belong inthe health care team.

Brian Taylor, until recently the directorof practice development and clinicalmatters for Unitron has beenresponsible for Unitrons' best practiceinitiatives and customer loyaltyprograms. He is editor in chief ofAudiology Practices, the quarterlyjournal of the Academy of Doctors ofAudiology, and a frequent contributor

to AudiologyOnline as well as theHearingHealthMatters blog.

The seven chapters provide a unique,in depth look at all facets of marketingaudiology, in particular the essentialcomponents to building the brand ofaudiology. Brian has sourced sixcontributors for the chapters from theUSA, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Each of these contributors is known fortheir innovative approaches to lookingat the role of audiology going forward.

Curtis Alcock provides a thoughtprovoking approach to marketing ourprofession and had me questioning theassumptions underlying many of thecurrent ways used to promote ourprofession. He has interestingstrategies to make hearing carerelevant for all. The difficulty is, itinvolves changing our belief in how wepromote our services and skills. Arewe, as a profession, up to it? I think weare!

Brian Taylor addresses the issues ofdeveloping a strategy and brand for

your practice, and the use of socialmedia and digital marketing for theprofession. He talks about changingfrom a device focus to a client focusedhearing service and has practicalsolutions for doing this.

Ever wondered how to write amarketing strategy and plan?Karen Ann Jacobs has written acomprehensive chapter on how towrite one and gives greatexamples.

Geoffrey Cooling explorespractical implementation of yourmarketing plan, budget andcalendar in a clinic. He writesabout how to use traditionalmethods of marketing media, forexample newspaper advertising aswell as online marketing. Hecovers branding, the patientjourney, communications policy,front of office operations andmost important the consultation.

Brian Taylor and Robert Tysoeexplore in depth, interventionalaudiology as a way to developrelationships with medicalpractitioners and other healthcare providers in your community.It's about making them aware that

audiology is not just about hearing aids- audiology has so much more to offer.

The chapter on social media has beenconsidered in depth by SusanGrenness elsewhere in this edition.

The final chapter is on marketinguniversity and other non profitaudiology clinics. I wasn't sure if it wasrelevant to me personally but I am soglad I read it as it gave me insight andideas for my own independentaudiology practice.

This book is worth reading by allaudiologists. It's a book that is now inmy library and already showing signs ofover use. �



Book Reviewed bySusan Grenness

Susan has a Diploma in ProfessionalManagement and in EntrepreneurialManagement and is currentlyundertaking 12 month web basedentrepreneurship training

The opening statement of “Marketing inan Audiology Practice” states “This isnot, I repeat not, a marketingtextbook…this book is aboutbranding.” This book then proceedsto provide commentary on howboth these subjects could beapplied to Audiology practice.

A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCHSUMMARISES “MARKETING IS WHAT YOU DO AND BRANDINGIS WHAT YOU ARE.”

The language in this book may beconfronting for many Audiologists. The beginning of the book discussesthe need to have a marketing plan to“pull” clients in and once you havethem through the door a “selling” plan.The underlying assumption in this bookis that when an Audiologist is in privatepractice that their primary focus is onlyabout selling hearing aids. Audiologistsare then assumed to be product salespeople rather than hearingprofessionals with a wide skill set toprovide a range of hearing services.

If you are primarily a product salesperson then the introduction of a newdisruptive innovation will be a very bigbusiness challenge. Personal sound

amplification products (PSAP) and bigbox retail outlets pose a challenge tothe status quo in hearing care delivery.Brian Taylor then presents the powerof branding and marketing as a way toanswer these emerging businessthreats.

The headline on page 28 that “ClinicalActivity Is Your Message” is an exampleof the book's focus on what we asAudiologist do… rather than addressingwhat are the needs and wants of ourclients. Audiologists are notencouraged to reframe their thoughtsto the client's perspective of… What'sin it for me! Rather the message ofwhat we do as Audiologists isencouraged as an important brandingopportunity.

Curtis J Alcock's take home message inChapter 2 is that hearing care must bepersonally relevant to improve thepublic attitude towards hearing care.

If a person does not perceive hearingcare to be important to them then theyare going to disregard any message anAudiologist may present to theircommunity.

The practical guide to a marketingstrategy and plan (chapter 3) written by Karen Ann Jacobs is my favourite

chapter in this book. There is lots ofpractical information in this sectionthat could be used in an overallbusiness plan.

Marketing in a modern practice: areal world perspective written by

Geoffrey Cooling is a commentaryon issues around web design and

effectiveness. Aspects of this chaptergive more practical information indigital marketing than chapter 6 whichreviews the subject. Geoffrey alsotouches on thinking about anddocumenting the structure of the clientprogram that your practice will deliver.He makes the point that the structureof service delivery is part of yourbranding profile.

The next area canvassed is the conceptof disease state marketing. Thepotential reward of developingrelationship with other healthprofessionals for referrals is examinedin detail. Having a physician marketingprogram is promoted as an effectivestrategy to increase profitability.

A passing reference is made advisingAudiologists to have a model of clientshared decision making. It wasdisappointing that a more detailed

Marketing in an AudiologyPractice:Digital Marketingand Social Media By Brian Taylor

The release of this book has generated unprecedented interest amongst our members. In our searchfor a reviewer, we decided to email members who are independent audiologists. We received 4offers in the first hour and 8 offers in the first day - unheard of when searching for Audiology Nowauthors! For this reason we chose to invite 2 people to review the book, with this second reviewfocusing specifically on the highly topical subject of Digital Marketing and Social Media. SusanGreenness has a contrasting perspective on the book which we hope will stimulate your interest, and highlights the importance of an evidence base in everything we do.



discussion on this important issue wasnot explored more thoroughly.

The appendix to this chapter givesexamples of personal communicationmessages. This is a useful resource foreducational messages that could beused to start promoting hearing healthcare messages to the community thatyou work in. It would have beeninteresting to know how well thesemessages were received in thecommunities where they have beenused. Unfortunately no data wasprovided.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITALMARKETINGSocial media is presented as being animportant component of acomprehensive marketing plan. A quick tour of websites, blogging,content, podcasting, face book,database marketing, digital signage andcloud based marketing tools arereviewed with a broad sweeping brush.

The summary of on-line forums doesnot put into perspective thepracticalities of how to incorporatedigital and social media into thepractice of Audiology.

Is face book a better forum for yourclientele or should more effort be putinto the practice website? Advice is notgiven on how or where resourcesshould be focused for differentoutcomes or for what purpose. Thereis no information on demographicsand where to target your efforts. The

possibilities are overwhelming and forAudiologists new to the world ofpractice promotion …where do youstart?

The summary of the digital marketingby Brian Taylor is as follows:• Maintain an interesting website• Create great content which is then

used across social media• Hire a professional webmaster who

understands the hearing care industry

These are great recommendations.

In the real world… from practicalexperience…it is easier said than done.For example how does an Audiologistcome up with great content that willcapture the interest of the reader andresult in action? The suggestions ofauthenticity, write to your targetaudience, reading age of a 12 year oldetc. is sensible advice but limited.There is an art to copywriting andpassion, authenticity and simplicity isnot enough.

How do you find a web designer whounderstands hearing care? Googleclassifies Audiology clinics as hearingaid shops. If you want to provide awide range of hearing services findinga web designer who is willing to gopast the google stereo type can behard to find.

Many websites end up being no morethan a digital business card. This bookdoes not give enough information on

how to avoid these pit falls. However,having a digital business card is betterthan having no presence at allWhat is missing from this chapter isthe message of test and measure.Whatever activity is undertaken… testand measure the outcome. Forexample, comments like videos areimportant on a website… find out… testand measure. May be it is for yourdemographic or may be it isn't. Areyou achieving the desired outcome foryour efforts? Test and measure. Howdo you do this? Google analytics isonly mentioned in passing on page274. The application of Googleanalytics is essential knowledge tofinding out what is working on yourwebsite.

Social media and digital marketingshould be an essential part of thepractice of Audiology...be itgovernment or private practice. If the word educate is substituted forthe word marketing then it is importantfor all Audiologists to consider thatthey need to market/educate theimportance of hearing care to thecommunity. The confused message ofthis book not being about marketingthen becomes irrelevant.

Social and digital media is an excitingforum to educate/market to the publicabout hearing care. This book shouldnot be used a reference book in thisarea but as a general introduction andresource to the existence of social anddigital media for Audiology practice. �

This issue has several articles on howaudiology is perceived, both within theprofession, as discussed at the DarwinConference, and in the widercommunity. We are also looking at howwe promote ourselves, in thecommercial marketplace. Our frontcover picture of the traditional fruit andvegetable market highlights the varietyand all the things that need to beconsidered collectively to makeaudiology - audiology.

The “Perception or Fact” pictures heregive one media version. But how wouldyou like to be represented visually?

The Audiology Image

Send your pictures that challenge the world view of “What an audiologist does” to [email protected]


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INTRODUCING THE NEW

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By Marg Anderson

After 33 years with Australian Hearing ina variety of roles - audiologist, manager,trainer, marketing adviser, and finallynational clinical learning anddevelopment coordinator - MargAnderson now works as a free-lanceconsultant.

For some time there has beendiscussion about the value of anational training program foraudiologists involved in diagnosticaudiology. Audiology Australia wasinterested in the views of audiologistsand other stakeholders regarding whatthe course could look like and relatedissues, such as national standards andaccreditation. I was engaged as anindependent consultant to gatherinformation and ideas from a range ofstakeholders involved in this field.

Emails were sent to a number ofpeople who had been identified by thenewborn diagnostic audiology (PANDA)group as key stakeholders, invitingthem to participate in a survey - infantdiagnostic audiologists, clinicmanagers, Australian Hearingaudiologists, co-ordinators of infantscreening programs, Masters of ClinicalAudiology university staff, and parents.Comments were also sought from ProfGreg Leigh, Chair of the AustralasianNewborn Screening Committee, ProfSuzanne Purdy and Dr Andrea Kelly,representing the New ZealandAudiological Society, and Dr GuyLightfoot, Consultant Clinical Scientistin the UK who was heavily involved inwriting national standards for hearingscreening and diagnosis and now runsworkshops on ERA.

The original list of stakeholdersexpanded rapidly as individualssuggested we invite others toparticipate, and in the end 76 peopleanswered a series of questionsrelevant to their interest andexperience. A profile of the survey

participants is in Figure 1, anddistribution by state/territory is inFigure 2. Note that most of the clinicmanagers were also audiologistsinvolved in assessing infants.More than half of the participants(55%) were interviewed face to face oron the phone, and the rest answeredtheir questions by email.

Most participants were asked three keyquestions:• Do you think there is a need for

national standards or protocols forinfant diagnostic audiology?

• Do you think there is a need for anational training program foraudiologists involved in infantdiagnostic audiology?

• Do you support the idea of a'certificate' or 'accreditation'program for specialty areas ofaudiology?

The response to all three of thesequestions was a resounding 'yes'. Theresults are summarised in Figure 3.

NATIONAL PROTOCOLSIt was interesting that, despite the factthat 96% of clinicians said theyfollowed some form of guidelines or

protocols (ranging from hospitalprocedures to detailed standardsbased on the UK Newborn HearingScreening Program standards), 92%supported the development ofAustralian protocols. A commonbenefit mentioned was consistency -better standard of care for childrenand families, improved accuracy,

adequacy and interpretation of resultsfor Australian Hearing audiologists, andstandardization of reporting.

- “There is great variability in testing, interpretation and management across sites.”

- “If ABR services are structured andsystematic, children are more likely tobe correctly diagnosed/managed/followed-up, and willreceive the same quality of care andmanagement regardless of whichcentre they attend.”

- “National protocols would avoidindividual preference or comfort withchoice of test and procedure.”

- “IHSP and AH have consistent ways ofdealing with babies, but there isnothing for the diagnostic phase ofthe process.”

Infant DiagnosticAudiology: A newdirection for AudiologyAustralia



NATIONAL TRAININGAt present, all audiologists working inthis field are trained on-the-job. Themost common training method isdemonstration, observation and at-elbow supervision, gradually increasingthe difficulty of the casework as theclinician's skills improve. This hands-ontraining model is supportive andeffective for many learners, but thegreat weakness is that training is onlyas good as the trainer.

90% of participants supported anational training program, for similarreasons as national protocols:consistency - of practice, interpretationof results, efficiency, and level of carefor families. Other benefits mentionedwere: • Relieve pressure on clinics to train

new audiologists• Provide consistent and equal skill

development• Ensure everyone is up to date,

using best practice• More predictability of skills for new

employer• Availability of training could make

role more attractive

- “Important and long overdue.Currently it takes our clinic 12 monthsto train a clinician for ABR readiness.”

- “Experience doesn't mean expertise.”- “It's important to 'get it right' for

family. A real qualification is betterthan on the job training or osmosisacquired skills. It should changeincorrect entrenched practices.”

Universities were asked to rate thelevel of competence of their graduatesin 9 areas of skill and knowledge inassessing the hearing of infants. Almostall these areas were rated as requiringfurther practical training or directsupport from an experienced clinician.The following comment from oneuniversity representative summarisedthe focus of the Masters in ClinicalAudiology program.

- “Many (graduates) will never practicesome specialties e.g. infant diagnostictesting, vestibular assessment, so theuniversity programs can only ensurethat students knowledge and skills inthese areas are at developing levelswhich can quickly be supplementedby specialty training if the graduatelater enters this area.”

ACCREDITATION86% of participants supported theconcept of accreditation of specialistaudiology skills. A number ofrespondents said “fantastic” and“excellent idea”. There was a generalfeel that accreditation would be a wayto acknowledge expertise and providesome certainty of skill levels whichwould be good for audiologists,employers and families.

- “Will ensure audiologist meetsendorsed standards in diagnosticaudiology and is accountable forachieving what (the standards) set outto do.”

- “Families will have more faith that theperson testing their child has beentrained and has some accreditation.”

- “A generic CCP is meaningless if youare working in a limited area such asinfant diagnostics, cochlear implants,industrial audiology etc. Currently ahearing aid dispenser has the sameCCP as an infant specialist but thisdoes not ensure clinical competenciesof either in each other's or even theirown areas.”

- “At the moment, parents are underthe 'trusted assumption' thataudiologists have the skills to do thejob they do. In the future, they can'texpect this to continue with NDIS andprivatisation of AH.” (Prof Greg Leigh)

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPPRESENTATIONThe survey results were presented tomore than 50 participants at a pre-conference workshop held on 18 Junebefore the 8th Australasian NewbornScreening Conference in Sydney.There was a time of discussion of eachof these three areas and a chance toshare ideas. The mood was verypositive, with many reasonableconcerns raised and practicalsuggestions made about how thiscould work in practice. These werecollected and will be added to the poolof information gathered from theoriginal survey participants.

NEXT STEPSDuring his interview, Professor Leighoffered a piece of wise advice: “It'simportant to write the standards firstor else the course will have implicitstandards that people would beexpected to meet. I have experiencedcourse first, standards second, and itdoesn't work.”

Audiology Australia agrees, and theyplan to concentrate first on developinga set of guidelines which focus on bestoutcomes for the baby and family,rather than detailed procedures orprotocols which would likely beimpossible to achieve consensus on.Training and accreditation will be aseparate project under the banner ofimplementing the guidelines.

Other information gathered throughthe consultation process - ideas,concerns, suggestions, offers - will becollated and passed on to the projectteams. Members who have expressedan interest and were not included inthe current survey will have theopportunity to contribute to this nextphase of developing guidelines andtraining. �




The program targets specific groupsengaged in high-risk behaviours, aswell as venues and legislativeauthorities involved in creating orregulating environments whereexcessive leisure noise occurs. KnowYour Noise (knowyournoise.nal.gov.au)was the first HEARsmart promotionalcampaign. It was driven primarily bysocial media and the distribution ofpostcards Australia-wide (via AvantCard. It promoted the Know Your Noisewebsite, which has two main features:• a hearing test to help visitors

determine their ability to hearspeech in noise - this does notreplace the need for clinical hearingassessments, but can recommendclinical follow up; and

• an online noise risk calculator thatenables users to discover theirpersonal risk of developing hearingloss as a consequence of theircurrent listening habits, such asgoing to nightclubs, music concertsor after using personal musicdevices. The calculator wasdeveloped by researchers at NAL toestimate noise exposure risk basedon lifestyle habits and to offersimple suggestions on how tooptimally manage these risks.

When assessing the risk of hearing lossrisk from loud music, it is important toconsider the duration as well asintensity of sound. This is especiallyrelevant for clubbers, who typicallyspend a long time at clubs. If theaverage noise level of a nightclub is 98decibels and the average time spentthere is 5 hours, this will equate to alevel of noise exposure equivalent to12 times the daily limit allowed inAustralian workplaces. Such exposureover an extended period of time willcontribute significantly to thedevelopment of a hearing loss ortinnitus in the future.

One of the key learnings from theKnow Your Noise Campaign was theability to successfully engage our targetaudience by using various different butcomplementary approaches. Getting

our messages out through traditionalmedia, social media and websites thatyoung people hold in high regard, cancreate an ongoing awareness that wehope, given time, will result in a changein attitude and behaviour around loudsound.

The HEARing CRC recently announceda second HEARsmart campaign, co-funded by the Deafness Foundation of Victoria - a pilot study that will helpdetermine how live music venues inAustralia can become more 'hearingfriendly'. The study will work with asmall number of live music venues todevelop practical and cost-effectivesolutions to help reduce noiseexposure for musicians, patrons andvenue staff while maintaining orimproving the fidelity of the musicbeing heard.

HEARing CRC researchers will measurenoise levels at gigs and gain input frompatrons and staff on their experienceof sound and their exposure. The datawill be analysed, the main noise-exposure risks identified, and in

consultation with venue owners, apractical noise-reduction package willbe developed. While the package willbe venue-specific, we hope it will beadaptable so that, in time, it can beimplemented in other similar musicvenues across Australia.

The HEARsmart pilot project has thesupport of Music Victoria and othermusician member-based organisationsthroughout Australia who will be askedto encourage uptake of the HEARsmartnoise-reduction package in live musicvenues around Australia. The final'package' is unknown, but could involveanything from free availability ofhearing protection and postercampaigns to encourage proper use,to venue modifications to reducereverberation, provision of quieter “chill out” spaces so patrons can take abreak, or working with sound engineersto produce music at a safer level, whilestill being enjoyable to patrons.

For more information aboutHEARsmart™ or to get involved, go to:hearsmart.org. �

Targeting unhealthy listening habitsLate last year, the HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (HEARing CRC) launchedHEARsmart™ - a new initiative to promote smarter hearing habits, aiming to reducepreventable noise-induced hearing loss associated with loud leisure noise.

Image with permission from AventCard


By John Pearcy

The “Independence Matters”Conference, held in Wellington, NewZealand in May 2015 was one in the“Excellent in Education Program” runby Independent Audiologists Australia.This particular event was a jointinitiative between the IndependentAudiologists groups of Australia andNew Zealand. Jason Ridgeway, Chairof the Ethics Committee, and I, theQueensland Chapter Representativeand an audiologist in independentprivate practice, had the pleasure ofbeing invited to attend to representAudiology Australia.

The conference centred around thepremise that “Independence matters tohealthcare consumers, practitionersand researchers” The purpose was toconsider fundamental issues such ashow audiologists can demonstrateindependence in the context ofglobalization, vertical integration, onlineavailability of products and services.How we can demonstrate ourindependence when product sales arepart of our clinical recommendationsand how conflicts of interest can beresolved by regulation and codes ofethics.

Some of the questions to be asked anddiscussed at the conference were: • Do qualifications matter to

professionals and to the public? • Does regulation distinguish

profession from industry? • Why has the recognition of the

profession lagged behind theestablishment of audiology as anarea of research and education?

• What is the impact of audiologicalprocedures being adopted by otherprofessionals such as pharmacistsand optometrists?

• How do we as a profession respondto the negative public perception ofAudiologists crystalised in theAustralian Radio NationalBackground Briefing program. .

The presenters were all internationallyrecognized academics who hadpublished on bioethics, mediation or

professionalism. Paul Komesaroff ispracticing physician and Professor ofMedicine at Monash University with abackground in philosophy and aninternational reputation in health careethics. Ian Kerridge is an AssociateProfessor of Bioethics and the Directorof the Centre for Values and Ethics andthe Law in Medicine at the University ofSydney. Grant Gillet is a Professor inthe Division of Health Sciences at theUniversity of Otago. Ron Paterson is aNew Zealand ParliamentaryOmbudsman and Professor of Law atthe University of Auckland and was theNew Zealand Health and DisabilityCommissioner from 2000 to 2010.

The keynote presentation by ProfKomesaroff focused on the conceptthat healthcare practitioners, like therest of modern society, adopt anumber of different social roles. In clinical and employment contexts -they may simultaneously serve asclinician, advocate, manager, employeeor employer and a member of aprofessional association. Individualsmay be bound by one or more codesof ethics in any given situation andpossible conflicts may arise. Disclosureof conflicts is recommended thoughdisclosure may be both complex andcontext sensitive. His role in the recentlicensing of Chinese MedicalPractitioners was insightful andinstrumental for audiologists.

Prof Kerridge focused on what peopleunderstand about the issues thatinfluence their judgement and decisionmaking. He asked, “What point isserved by declarations of interest?”There are a wide range of people withdifferent interests, ranging fromprofessionals, patient organisations,professional associations,manufacturers of hearing careproducts and the public. How muchinformation is needed and what needsto be done beyond a 'declaration' tomanage the interests?

Ron Patterson looked at why someprofessionals claim that the delivery ofhealth care needs more trust and lessregulation. However in his role as

Ombudsman, he found that the bestway to ensure safe practice wasthrough regulation. The pathway forAudiology and emerging healthprofessions to gain recognition viaregistration was mapped out from aNew Zealand perspective.

Prof Gillet discussed the concept thatno part of research, researchtranslation or clinical practice isindependent of commercial influenceand that this introduces an importantsource of bias. How should cliniciansapproach and use evidence when theevidence is provided by the suppliersof that evidence? The relationshipbetween evidence based practice andpatient centred care was highlighted.

After listening, interacting and somevigorous debate on the topics from allthe speakers, there was a generalconsensus that to help Audiology as aProfession regain and increase ourcredibility in the community, thereneeded to be an emphasis ondeclaration of interests and theremoval of incentives for hearing aidsales.

The major outcome was the consensusof the audiologists present that thereneeded to be regulation of theAudiology Profession. The best wayforward was to work towards becomingLicensed Audiologists. The feeling andgoals were harmonized andsummarized in the WellingtonDeclaration. The link to the Declarationis: http://www.aaapp.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/THE-WELLINGTON-DECLARATION-MAY-2015.pdf

Overall it was a wonderful conferencewith much lively and stimulatingdebate. Many thanks should go theorganisers, speakers and participants. �

Independence Matters:Professionalism inHealthcare



Outcomes of The DarwinMini-Conference


The Darwin Workshop was a “talk fest” - an opportunity for participants to express their views on theimportant strategic areas identified by the Audiology Australia Board. The backdrop was the seminarpresentations, detailed in the report by our CEO. Each Working Group presented issues for discussion,highlighting key questions for debate. Participants split into groups and brain-stormed ideas for 15 minutesbefore rotating onto the next strategy area.

It was a great way to capture ideas instantaneously and as Helen told us, it was just like “speed dating”!Participants selected one strategy area they wished to investigate intensively and work as a small group toformulate strategies which will help define the way forward. The outcomes of this stimulating think-tankexercise are summarized below.

Self-regulationand registration

Registration, licencing and certification have been exploredin the past, but can be revisited. Some members felt onlyregistration would provide the necessary credibility andprotect members employed in business models withunethical work practices.

Self-regulation was regarded as being ineffective. However,other professions report that registration can limit the scopeof practice. The logistics of registration and discouragementby government bodies was also raised.

Registration, may directly benefit to audiologists, but couldbe a strategic challenge to Audiology Australia itself. This isbecause if registration is successful, membership would nolonger be the clinical practice standard accepted bygovernment and employers.

Audiology Australia will revisit thelogistics, projected costs andbenefits of registration and reportback

TOPIC MEMBER COMMENTS ACTION

Specialisation inaudiology

Specialisation enables all stakeholders to increase theirunderstanding of expertise and for members to validatetheir skill set as part of the CPD Program. It is an opportunityfor standards within an audiology specialisation to be abenchmark for health, education and governmentregulation. Supporting members felt the NDIS was anopportunity to promote specialisation. Logistical issues werediscussed with the idea of CPD activities requiring contentspecific activities.

Others felt this could narrow the skills of audiologists, andthat Universities could and/or should provide the training. Strategically, this can be used to raise the profile ofAudiology Australia, as the organisation issuing the specialistcertificates.

Audiology Australia commissioned asurvey on specialisation in paediatricdiagnostics by Marg Anderson whichfound the majority of those surveysendorse the proposal. Memberswanted specialisations to includepaediatric diagnostics, paediatrichearing aids, vestibular assessmentand management, newborn hearingdiagnostics, and geriatrics.


PROFILE OF AUDIOLOGY IN AUSTRALIA : HOW SPECIAL ARE WE? Workshop facilitators: Colleen Psarros, Bob Cowan, Jacy Fellows

In summary, members felt that our profile in audiology could be reinforced by clearly defining to our major stakeholders“What is an Audiologist?” Clear consistent terminology amongst the profession was felt necessary to ensure the public wereaware of what we do, our areas of specialty, and to develop trust with the community using media and education.Overwhelmingly an important step in raising our profile requires engaging the public in recognising audiology as a profession.



Service deliverymodels

Service delivery models began a debate over terminology:Client, person, patient, recipient, family centred care were allproposed. Empowerment of clients, facilitating decisions andacting in the best interests of the client (family) with carefulmonitoring of client outcomes, and reviewing processesused were the factors identified as underpinning servicedelivery irrespective of the service being provided.


ETHICS AND THE REGULATION OF PRACTICE IN AUDIOLOGY Workshop facilitators: Jason Ridgeway, Marian Jones, Jenny Smith

Regulation ofethical practices

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Professional Practice Standardsand Complaints Procedures are approved policies but do weneed procedures to apply them?

Is it Audiology Australia's role to undertake auditing andsanctioning, or should it use an impartial body eg ISO andretain an educational focus?

Can our logo be used to give an advantage and representstandards?

Work with AHPADevelop a framework of practiceaccreditation based on ethicalstandards which we endorse andbusinesses can sign up to.

Review the current sanction process.


Registration of the profession

Registration will protect audiologists' scope of practice Work with AHPRA


RemunerationModels

There are many salary options available eg higher baserates, bonuses, incentives, commissions. What is acceptable?Clients will not question renumeration if they feel theyreceive ethical information

The best client outcome is always the goal, but outcomebased payment can be difficult to define Lobby OHS to ensure their payments are based on client-centred outcomes.

Separation of product (devices) and service (rehabilitation)costs and our role in devise selection is important in client -centred care ie - unbundling

Survey members about terms andconditions of employment, view oncommission etc

Work with AHPA to developguidelines for rates of pay Write a white paper detailing allperspectives eg current pay models,targets, KPIs etc

Service delivery should align withclient-centred practice and besuitably remunerated.

Explore the unbundled sales model.


Structure and roleof ethicscommittee

How are ethics issues communicated to members? Are theethics committee processes transparent? Is more educationabout ethics scenarios and business practice needed ? egpayment structures, overprescription. Should the ethicscommittee include external members (eg legal, education,or consumer reps)

Examine other professional codesregarding commission.Continuously review the code ofethics.




Work with allstakeholders

Work with ACAud, HAASA, HCIA, IAA for consensus on bestpractice and push back on sales and retail focus. Considerendorsing the Wellington Declaration.Work with employers and manufacturers to advocate formembers and promote ethical practice, not just devices.

Engage with NDIA/S to define audiology templates forindividual service plans. Align our communication toGovernment with competition policy recommendations. Work with OHS to define a clear position and use them topressure employers.

Does the US 'Sunshine Act' requiring annual reporting anddisclosure of interests have implications in Australia?

Advocate the role and value of audiologists to the public.Ensure transparency of financial disclosure and clear pricingstructures across all businesses.

Engage with other organisationsusing regular think tanksConsider legislation re National Codeof Conduct for Health Professionals

Dialogue with NDIA/S on clientempowerment and rehab focus.Collect evidence on "harm"(including financial harm), to informGovernment.

Simple clear strong statements tothe public. Eg "This is how we areaddressing the Radio National issue”

Promote audiologists to build trustand focus on rehabilitation oversales in the retail sector


Support ourMembers

Members may feel isolated/ vulnerable in their workplacewith employer pressure to meet sales targets and a focus onretail rather than clinical training

How can we support members manage business vs ethicspressures?Can we empower members to negotiate terms andconditions of work? Are standardised individual service plans ( eg NDIS) a viablesolution?

Can Audiology Australia provide guidelines which helpmembers manage disgruntled clients? Can the office providemore professional member support?

Provide guidelines for ethicalconduct, informed consent etc. Develop an CPD education packageon applied ethics,

Provide a position statement onrenumeration models to helpmembers foster client trust.

Develop a young professionalsspecial interest group to fosternetworks (< 3 years' experience)

Review informed consent andreportability (eg 'elder abuse' andfinancial harm)


Above/ Jason Ridgeway and the Ethics workshop in deep discussion.


AUDIOLOGY AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE Workshop facilitators: Amarjit Anand, John Pearcy

Ability for directreferrals toSpecialists.

Extended scope of practice focused on audiologists ability torefer clients directly to ENT. There were issues about ENTaccess in regional areas. OHS clearance for hearing aids tobe done by Audiologists rather than GPs. Direct referrals toENTs exists in the UK.

Discuss with Board how to take thetopic forward.


Registration Registration is required before specialisation is recognised.Specialisation may need a separate category of registration

AHPRA


Advance Scope ofPractice: otoscopy

Training in advanced Otoscopy. Make videotoscopy andcerumen removal part of routine practice, taught in theUniversities

Discussion with Universities aboutcurrent curricula


Advance Scope ofPractice:Prescribing orPharmacy Rights

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) pharmacy rightstraining for Allied Health Professionals was presented as apossible model and training for Audiologists discussed.

There should be an overarching framework and memberguidelines Suggestion for training by Universities, not theprofessional body. Training should be accredited andregularly updated in line with Pharmacy updates and acertified training program.

There are issues around accountability and limits forprescribing rights for Audiologists. Eg topical medicationprescription for Otitis Externa particularly for hearing aidusers. Also treatment for sudden sensorineural loss. Some members did not favour extended scope of practicein urban settings, but agreed it is useful for rural remotesettings.

Further discussion around medico-legal implications, forboth audiologists and employers.

How did Podiatrists/Optometrists obtained prescribingrights?

Discussion with QUT and SpeechPathology Australia who havescoped QUT requirements.

Medico-legal and indemnityimplications to be researched.

Investigate with Podiatry/ Optometryregarding the process forprescribing rights.


Funding-approachingGovernment

Support from Government for Medicare referrals andextended scope of practice for audiology is needed.

Discuss how to engage Governmentat Board level.



Members who did not attend the Darwin Conference , but would liketo express their opinions please send a Letter to the Editor,

email: [email protected].


EDUCATION AND MEMBER COMMUNICATION Workshop facilitators: Caitlin Grenness, Helen Goulios, Holly Veale, Eliza Pickard

Our working group encompasses the Internship program, the Certificate of Clinical Practice and University liaison. However,the results of our 2013 membership survey indicated that CPD is a priority and we utilised the opportunity to exploremembers' perspectives, concerns and ideas on continuing education.

What is goodabout our CPDprogram?

NetworkingKeeps clinicians currentStandardizedNational and state-based programsMaintains OHS registration Incentive to continue learning

.


What can weimprove/ what ischallenging?

Inefficiencies in the process for obtaining points/evaluationCosts (variable / unequal)Access (currently urban-centric)Concerns about the endorsement process and decisionsNot using online to full potentialTopics to meet everyone's needs.

Developing a strategy for CPD acrossthe country to overcome state-based differences and inequities.


What content ortopics would beincluded?

Ask us regularlyVarietyPush our knowledgeConsider journal groups or online interactions betweenmembers

.


In an ideal worldhow events wouldbe presented?

Mix of formats to maximise access Greater use of eLearning / webinarsLibrary of all events online

Optimizing use of online services formanaging your CPD and forproviding CPD.


Who should run /develop CPDevents?

Utilize Universities and organisations such as NALVariety (Audiology Australia and external; Chapters andBoard)

Simplifying endorsement processes,Obtaining points, Managing CPDcycle including endorsed versusindependent.


Other issuesraised

Efficiency of internship programBetter utilize the website Better communication between Chapters and BoardDiscuss CPD and specialisation Give lots of notice for events

.


serviceinnovation

clientbenefit

qualityimprovement

careerdevelopment



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159

25

7IN

T /

03

.20

15

By Sue and Lew Tuck

You may have previously read about theactivities of the HearingNEPAL Program inAudiology Now Issue 50. This is anupdate of the activities of the Program,and how many people are offering theirtime, financial assistance and support inall sorts of ways to help make it work.

On 25th April 2015, an earthquake witha magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scalehit Nepal, killing more than 8,800people and injuring more than 23,000others. HearingNEPAL employee,Keshab was the first to reach areas ofdevastation. His email received on28th April 2015 read:

“We are first supporter to support thisearthquake victim area. People are sohappy to get our support. They thanksand bless us from their heart.” With regards, Keshab

Now more than 2 months after thedevastating earthquakes, we are ableto continue to assist with relief effortsalongside our general health andhearing camps. Keshab was able to usethe Hearing Program's car to deliveraid, firstly food and hygiene items, andnow roofing iron until our donationsare used up. The aim is to get someshelters up before the monsoon whichis now upon parts of the country. Thefamilies provide the recycled materialsand labour to build temporary homes.Our website www.himlayanhealthandhearing.org has regular updates ofhow donations are being spent.

DEVELOPING A HEARING HEALTHPROGRAM Hearing NEPAL Program commencedin early 2010 by a couple of Australianhearing care professionals, whoestablished a working relationship witha grass-roots hearing self-help group inNepal, Nepal Association of the Hard ofHearing (NAHOH).

Early in 2014, the Program was grantedDGR status under AusAID, meaningthat all donations over $2 received in

Australia, receive a tax deduction. Asthe Program has evolved and continualexperience has helped guide andshape the way we work together, abroader vision has emerged under thebanner of “Compassion in Action”.

In August 2014, the Program adopteda name change to Himalayan Healthand Hearing Program. This decisionwas taken based on several factors:• Work is now being requested

outside of Nepal, in both southernIndia and Ladakh in northern India,with plans for Sikkim.

• Our scope of service delivery has

expanded to other areas of healthon an “as-needs” basis, and wherethe capacity to help is clear. Forexample, projects have beendelivered in conjunction with aGerman Eye Specialist. Keshab, theOtology Assistant from NAHOH, is atrained Community MedicalAssistant (CMA), able to treatprimary health conditions, such asrespiratory and minor infectionsusing the drugs available from theEar Camp stocks.

• Our regular work is now inconjunction with a local healthcentre, Karuna-Shechen Clinic andHospice, which provides health carein outreach camps in theKathmandu Valley. Attendees cannow access a specialist ear clinicianas well as a doctor, pharmacist andnurse for general health checks andtreatment.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2014 • Five remote hearing care Camps

Total attendance: 1807 (916 were21yrs &under)

• Combined Camps. The purchase ofa 4WD Jeep enabled us to join theShechen Clinic & Hospice medicalcamps in the Kathmandu Valley,and they joined our Nepal NAHOHcamps.

• Ear camps in Kathmandu Valley: 31(24 combined with SC&H).

• Total attendance: 2,788 persons,all ages, without discrimination.

• Primary ear care and ear surgeriesfor people in Kathmanadu

• Our Nepali staff maintain theirNAHOH clinic in Kirtipur, doing allfrom primary ear care to hearingtesting, fitting of hearing aids andearmould-making. They alsoarrange follow-up with local ENTsurgeons who provide free surgicalservices.

• Provision of hearing devices. Over500 hearing aids as well as assistivelistening devices (ALD's) for theelderly have been fitted since westarted in 2010.

Himalayan Health andHearing Program Update



Follow-up camps to areas visitedpreviously continue, to ensure ongoingtraining in the maintenance and use ofhearing aids, together with supply ofbatteries and spare parts. Resourcesfor education (posters) are graduallybeing revised and improved withcultural awareness. Cochlearimplantees can access our “partsbank” which provides free replacementfor components, to prevent CIprocessors falling into disrepair anddisuse.

Above/ Keshab Dangol, OtologyAssistant also has primary health carequalifications

TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT FORHEALTH WORKERS• Salaried Staff. The wages of the

Nepali service providers were paid,and expenses as per agreementswith NAHOH, in recognition of thequality of the service and care theyprovide.

• Staff Training. Both in Kathmanduand on remote Ear Camps, trainingfor local health clinic staff has beenprovided together with equipmentfor examining and treating ears.

• Hearing Aids. Donations of goodsecond-hand hearing aids andparts for cochlear implantscontinue to come in from clinicsand individuals all around thecountry. Pre-programming of aidsto check sound quality, andlabelling the power level continuesas part of the program. Anyone willing and able to preparehearing aids for fitting, please get intouch via the website. We can offer adesk to do this here in theWhitsundays if you want to comespend some time here and help outHH&H in your travels!

HEALTH AND HEARING - THE WAYFORWARDThe major determinants of health lieoutside the health system, withmultiple factors contributing to earhealth and all other health conditionsassociated with disadvantage. This hasled us to broaden our focus to “healthand hearing”.

Through this approach, in January 2015with the trust of partner Nepaliorganisations, we have now beenasked to participate in a women'shealth program in Dhanusha district,Nepal. The focus of this program isPelvic Organ Prolapse (PoP) and willinvolve screening, education andtreatment, with severe cases beingreferred to a hospital for surgicalcorrection. There is a high incidence ofuntreated pelvic organ prolapse (PoP)in Nepal, which is now beingrecognised, and screening andtreatment programs are being offeredin conjunction with Governmentservices. We have committed tosupporting a 12 month program -organised in the 10 VillageDevelopment Committees (VDC's)located in an area with a high level ofpoverty and illiteracy. The cost todeliver this Program to approximately25,000 women is around AUS $17,000.

4 Ear Camps over the 12 months willbe offered in conjunction with this

program to maximise the cost of travelto this remote region for monitoring ofthe PoP program.

THANK YOU We would like to recognise the help wehave received this year from all sorts ofpeople and places. Jade Frederiksenand James McLennan donated manyhours of time in cleaning, checking,programming and organising usedhearing aids for use on the upcomingEar Camps. Personal challenges wereundertaken by 2 major supporters,James McLennan (beard shave off) andJodie Stewart and Eddie Bosloper (1/2marathon) raising significant funds forHH&H.

Used audiology equipment in goodworking order has been donated andfreighted to us by Neurosensory Unit,Brisbane. Peter Bosloper (Bozzy) at GNOtometrics donated many hours oftime and expertise in calibrating theequipment used in Nepal. Hearing aidmanufacturers continue to givesupport through refurbishment of aids,supply of software and programmingaccessories, and through back-upsupport and advice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:www.himalayanhealthandhearing.orghttps://www.facebook.com/himalayanhealthandhearing. �


Above/ A team approach allows a more holistic approach to primary health care.


HID*

(Plug and Play)

!

Australian Government

Department of HealthOffice of Hearing Services


Notes from the OfficeThe commencement of the 2015-16 financial year has seen implementation of the new hearing service provider contract andHearing Rehabilitation Outcomes. Feedback from service providers through the consultation process has supporteddevelopment of a contract with clauses that have been simplified and have a clearer purpose.

Now that 2014-15 is complete, the Office is compiling data that will provide an overview of utilisation of the Hearing ServicesProgram (the program) for the year, including information on who is accessing services. You might be interested to know thatin 2014-15:• around 270 hearing providers delivered services under the program;• almost 670,000 Voucher clients received these services; and• the average client age increased from 79 to 80.

If you are interested in other program statistics for 2014-15, these will be available on the Office website atwww.hearingservices.gov.au from August 2015.

Other recent news from the Office that may be of interest to practitioners:

Deferment of Decision on Future Ownership Options for Australian Hearing & National Disability Insurance SchemeTransitionThe Government announced on 8 May 2015, that it would consult further with hearing loss advocacy groups and other keystakeholders before making a decision on ownership options for Australian Hearing in the second half of 2015. A series ofNational Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Transition Information Sessions were held in June 2015 for stakeholders who hadpreviously been consulted on the Australian Hearing scoping study or who had a specific interest in understanding theimplications for Australian Hearing in the context of the NDIS. NDIS Transition Planning workshops, held around Australia,commenced in mid-July 2015 and information is available on the Office website at www.hearingservices.gov.au.

New Provisions in the Service Provider ContractThe new service provider contract includes a number of key changes including: • a requirement to participate in the annual self-assessment audit process;• a revised Hearing Rehabilitation Outcomes document; and• a new clause that requires all service providers to declare any conflict of interest to the Office, including disclosure to

clients of any preferred provider relationships.

More guidance on how service providers can meet their obligations in regard to these clauses is now available as fact sheets,Conflict of Interest Clause and Disclosure Clause on the Office website. Information about the changes to the contract is alsoavailable in CSPN 2015/11.

Client Rights and Responsibilities PosterTo reflect updates to the hearing service provider contract, the Client Rights and Responsibilities poster has also beenupdated. It is a requirement under the contract that this poster be displayed at all service provider sites. Copies of theposter can be ordered for free or downloaded from the Office website at www.hearingservices.gov.au.

Hearing Services Online ReleaseThe most recent Hearing Services Online (HSO) portal soft release went live in August 2015. As a soft release, there has beena transition period of approximately eight weeks whereby hearing service providers have been able to use the new HSOfunctions or choose not to, while they build familiarity with the system improvements. Inclusions in the soft release enablehearing service providers to:• submit most manual claims from the client details screen;• print correspondence including the welcome pack and voucher details directly; and• check eligibility, the status of a voucher, and who a client's last known provider was by clicking the new 'check if you are

already in the program' button.

The HSO User and Quick Reference Guides have been updated to incorporate these changes and are available for use on theUser Guides page of the Office website. Further information about this HSO release is available in CSPN 2015/13.



Free Promotional Postcards The Office continues to make available (at no cost) two promotional postcards, which promote and encourage access tohearing services. Both postcards can be viewed on the website. Additional information and details on how to order can befound in CSPN 2015/01. There are currently no limits on the number of postcards that can be ordered, and they are suitablefor use in a range of venues, including hearing service provider reception areas; senior citizens' centres; hairdressers andother locations where postcards can be displayed. Practitioners and hearing service providers who have already ordered andreceived postcards are welcome to order more if they wish. Orders can be submitted via email to [email protected].

Hearing Awareness WeekThe Office has provided some sponsorship of Hearing Awareness Week, 23-29 August 2015, through the Deafness Forum ofAustralia. Practitioners and hearing service providers in the Canberra region will be able to visit us, and find out more aboutthe program, at the Hearing Awareness Week Expo, to be held at the Hellenic Club in Woden, on Wednesday 26 August. Forpeople living in other areas of Australia, you will find a list of Hearing Awareness Week events atwww.hearingawarenessweek.org.au.

Keeping up to date with information from the OfficeYou can keep up to date with all that is going on from the Office through the What's New page on our website. A Rich SiteSummary (RSS) Feed is available for subscription and more information on how to subscribe to the RSS feed is in CSPN2014/22.

The Office welcomes any feedback and suggestions on the website and the HSO portal. To send us your feedback or to seekany further assistance about the program, you can email [email protected], or use the Feedback link on the website.

Australia is well recognized for the highquality of its audiology educationprograms, with our graduates beinghighly sought after both nationally andinternationally. This is largely due tothe depth and breadth of educationprovided at our five accrediteduniversity programs. This includesextensive clinical placements that aresupported by our members whovoluntarily contribute as ClinicalEducators. However, the majority ofthese placements are located in cityand metropolitan areas, and some inregional areas. Very few Master ofAudiology students have theopportunity to complete placements inrural and remote communities, wherethe prevalence of ear disease isamongst the highest in the world. Oneof the main reasons for this is the highcost of travelling to remote Australianlocations, limiting the number ofstudents who are able to access thisexperience.

Audiology Australia has recognized this,and in order to promote the role ofaudiologists in the prevention,

diagnosis and treatment of ear diseasein rural and remote communities andto raise awareness of the impact ofhearing impairment and deafness, theBoard of Audiology Australia hasagreed to award scholarships tostudents of accredited AustralianUniversity Audiology programs everyacademic year. Each university will begiven a sum of $2000 to distribute tostudents attending clinical placementsin rural and remote locations. Theseawards will be known as the “AudiologyAustralia Sean Fitzpatick Rural andRemote Scholarships” in memory ofSean Fitzpatrick whose passion foraudiology and work in paediatrics,particular in remote parts of Australiahas inspired many other audiologiststo follow his lead*. Each Chapter hasthe responsibility of working with theirlocal University in the selection andawarding of scholarships with the firstround being awarded in the 2015calendar year.

Each student awarded a scholarshipwill be required to write a short essayon their experiences during the rural

and remote placement, and we lookforward to reading these in futureeditions of Audiology Now.

* Sean Fitzpatrick's achievements inAudiology and his work in Rural andRemote Communities were highlighted inthe Autumn 2014 edition of AudiologyNow. �

The Audiology Australia SeanFitzpatrick Rural and RemoteStudent Scholarships


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Insio bx artwork indd 1 7/08/2015 1:59:26 PM


BY YETTA ABRAHAMS NSW/ACT Chapter

While many of us have beencomplaining about the plummetingtemperature around our state, we havebeen able to celebrate the recentAustralasian Newborn HearingScreening Conference (ANHSC) whichwas held in Sydney June 19-20. Theconference is held every 2 years, andwelcomes a variety of professionalsinvolved in the newborn hearingscreening sector who share the currentissues and research in the field. Dr GuyLightfoot and Dr Christine YoshinagaItano were the keynote presenters thisyear, with Christine also presenting the2015 Libby Harricks Memorial Oration.

Hot topics included an ongoingincreased focus on outcomes, with thenext instalment of the LongitudinalOutcomes for Children with Hearing

Impairment (LOCHI) study beingpresented. An additional focus was thediscussion between state screeningprograms around how to better linkchildren's screening results in to otherservices, audiological and beyond.Unilateral hearing loss in children isalso emerging as a focus area with anumber presenters talking about thechallenges of audiological managementgiven the early diagnosis of this type ofhearing loss.

The State Chapter have been spendingtime focussing on the CPD calendar forthe year ahead, and many of you wouldhave seen the invitation to the seminaron “Tinnitus Treatments and EvidenceBased Practice" on Saturday, 1 August2015. This activity has been endorsedfor 5 CPD points under Activity CodeAESA, and participants are welcome toregister on-line, or send registrationforms through to the AudiologyAustralia office. The keynote speakerfor this event is Dr Kim Wise. Dr Wise isa Lecturer at the University ofCanterbury. Her PhD thesis titled“Auditory Attention and Tinnitus”explores new avenues for tinnitustreatment and we are delighted tohave her analysis of tinnitus treatmentsas a whole and her own research inparticular. Dr Catherine McMahon and

Dr Celene McNeil are also presentingon the day.

We are currently planning additionalCPD events to run outside of Sydneyover the next year. At this stage we arelooking at Port Macquarie andCanberra but are also keen to considerother locations, and with this in mindwe will be getting feedback from NSW/ACT members about preferredlocations for CPD events in the comingmonths. We will also have an additionalday in November at The AustralianHearing Hub at Macquarie focussed onworking with clients who are elderly.Further information will be distributedby email soon! �

NSW/ACT News

SUNDAY 22 TOWEDNESDAY 25 MAY 2016

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Sponsorship/ExhibitionFor information regarding sponsorship or tradeexhibition opportunities at the AudiologyAustralia National Conference 2016, contactAaron Neame - [email protected]


Olivia Hillenaar Vic/Tas Chapter

The Vic/Tas Chapter was excited towelcome our new CEO, Dr Tony Colesto the June meeting. It was fantastic tomeet Tony in person and hear firsthand about some of his visions forAudiology Australia. It is clear hisexperience and enthusiasm will addsignificant value to Audiology at a localand national level which will have apositive impact on our members, ourprofession and the community.

As the National Conference LocalOrganising Committee, the Vic/ TasChapter is continuing to work with theNational Conference Committee toproduce the most amazing audiologyconference yet! Considerations andplanning have been around theconference theme as well as Key notespeakers and Round Table discussions.We are hugely excited about the eventand are looking forward to the 22nd-25th May, 2016!

In June, the Audiological PracticeSeminar was held for Second YearUniversity of Melbourne Audiologystudents. During this event, a range ofaudiologists spoke about their careersand the factors and influences that ledthem to take their chosen paths. A social event followed the seminargiving students the opportunity to chatfurther with the presenters.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENTJuly saw the National Board Roadshow,Models of Service Delivery reach bothVictoria and Tasmania. This eventreviewed the World HealthOrganisation InternationalClassification of Functioning, Disabilityand Health (ICF) as a framework fordelivery of person-centred audiologicalcare. This biopsychosocial approach isassociated with a rehabilitative modelof clinical practice, rather than amedical model and was well receivedby attendees. I would encourage thosewho were unable to attend their localRoadshow event to read the PositionPaper, WHO are we hear for? Modelsof Service Delivery which is located onthe Audiology Australia website toconsider a new approach to the way inwhich you manage your patients.

FAREWELLIn July, the University of Melbourne'sDepartment of Audiology and SpeechPathology said farewell to two highlyrespected, well regarded, longstandingstaff members, Angela Marshall andJudy Lockie. Both have been at theUniversity of Melbourne for over 40years.

ANGELA MARSHALL:Angela entered audiology aftercompleting a Bachelor of Arts majoringin Psychology in 1975 at the Universityof Melbourne. Her PostgraduateDiploma in Audiology was completed in1976 followed soon after by a Masterof Science in Audiology in 1981.

Upon completion of the PostgraduateDiploma in Audiology in 1976, Angelajoined the clinical teaching team whereshe has held several positions, mostrecently, Senior Lecturer. Angela hasmade a significant contribution to theUniversity and to the audiologyprofession in many different ways,including: organisation of studentplacements; lecturing; coursecoordination and development of adulttesting protocols. Angela also had ahuge impact on course developmentenabling the audiology program totransition from two one-year coursesto the two-year Master of ClinicalAudiology course that it is currently.Over the years, Angela gainedinternational knowledge and brought this back to the University afterobtaining a grant to study for five

weeks in the United States and Canadain 1978 and completing the Tinnitus and Hyperacausis Master Class inLondon in 2012. Through her passionand commitment, the University ofMelbourne's Audiology course hasevolved significantly into aninternationally respected school foraudiological excellence.

Throughout her whole career, Angelacontinued her clinical work primarily inadult diagnostic and rehabilitativeareas as well as tinnitus counsellingand management. Angela's passion foreducation and individualised patientcare has had a huge positive impact onthe lives of both audiologists andpatients. This passion wasacknowledged in 1996 when Angelawas awarded the Audiological Societyof Australia Certificate of OutstandingService in Recognition of Services tothe Profession of Audiology.

In addition to these achievements,Angela has impeccably high clinical andprofessional standards, an incredibleeye for detail and an amazing memory!Although she has already attended one

Victorian News




CPD event three days post retiring,Angela is now looking forward tocontinuing to watch her two childrenbecome wonderful adults, both ofwhom will be marrying later this year.

JUDY LOCKIE:Judy entered audiology aftercompleting a Bachelor of Science in1974 followed by a Graduate Diplomaof Audiology at the University ofMelbourne in 1975. Judy followed herkeen interest in clinical communicationand effective education by going on tocomplete a Certificate in Counsellingand Psychotherapy in 2003 andGraduate Certificate in HealthProfessional Education in 2006.

Judy began her career in audiologyeducation as a clinical tutor at theRoyal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in1976 and then joined the clinical

teaching team at the University ofMelbourne in 1980. At the University,Judy was responsible for teachingdecades of young audiologists thenuances of paediatric audiology andwas a mentor to many paediatricaudiologists. Judy was also responsiblefor introducing and adding an evidencebase to teaching professionalism andethics; clinical communication; clinicalteaching; education theory and clinicalreasoning all of which significantlyenriched the audiology course.

It is because of Judy's passion for theimportance of quality clinical educationand her wealth of knowledge inprofessionalism and ethics, that shewas invited to join the teaching staff forthe Monash University GraduateCertificate of Health ProfessionalEducation and Master of HealthProfessional Education course in 2011,

where she continues to teach parttime.

Although Judy is continuing her workwith Monash University she is lookingforward to spending more time withher grandchildren.

Over their careers, Angela and Judyhave both taught almost 1000Australian audiologists; that's morethan one third of the AudiologyAustralia membership! As Victorianaudiologists, we would like to sincerelythank Angela and Judy for theirdedication to our patients, ouraudiologists and our profession. Theirpassion and commitment has changedthe lives of so many. They will bedeeply missed by their friends andcolleagues who all wish them the verybest for the future. �

BY PETER DUNCAN AND MATTHEW CALLAWAY NT Chapter

Greetings from another sunny winter inDarwin, which was also enjoyed by theapproximately 120 delegates whoattended the Darwin Issues inProfessional Practice mini-conferenceover the first weekend in June. Wetrust the delegates that travelled hereenjoyed equally warm local hospitality.Lively, productive discussion occurredin the workshops around challengingand topical subjects facing Audiology,including ethics and practiceregulation, the profile of the professionin Australia, and its relationship toPrimary Health Care. The outcomesfrom the conference will help guide theprofession, and the chairing of thisevent by Audiology Australia PresidentProfessor Louise Hickson and theinvolvement of new Audiology AustraliaCEO, Dr Tony Coles, was universallywelcomed.

We look forward to Tony Coles' returnvisit to Darwin in August, which willinclude a video-link for members inAlice Springs into the meeting.

The annual NT Hearing Services (NTHS)in-service was held in June. As is always

the case, this is a forum for a broadrange of topics, from general audiologyto the specific challenges faced inservice provision in the NT, and keyannual event for face to facenetworking of audiologists across theNT who are otherwise spread far andwide for most of the year.

In great news for enhancing thehearing care of all Territorians, theRoyal Darwin Hospital is establishing anew audiology suite as part of theAllied Health Department relocationand facility upgrade. The move isplanned for August this year.

The team at RDH, namely PrashaSooful and Samantha Langford-Wilson,have been busy organising activities forHearing Awareness Week. Building onthe success of last year, TEABBA(Indigenous) radio and members fromthe NT Thunder AFL team will againpromote healthy hearing messages topatients, staff and visitors at RDH andout to remote communities via a livebroadcast. Local audiological representation will also occur at theRoyal Darwin Show which occurs in thefinal weekend in July.

In social news, proud English parentsLisa Dawson and Graeme Crossland

have welcomed a brand new Australianbaby, young Rowan. Similar moves areafoot at NTHS, with senior audiologistBeck Matthews about to take maternityleave for her third child: we wish her allthe best.

The best looking fellow in our NTAudiology family, Rowan Crossland. �

Northern Territory News


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BY KATRINA LIGHTSA Chapter

Our May CPD event left attendeessaying “wow, didn't realise you did somuch”. SA members heard from MaryDillon from Your Employment Success(YES). YES is specific to SA. Other stateshave similar services, although typicallyunder a generic disability service withassociation with the local Deaf society.YES is a specialist service helpingdeaf/hard-of-hearing/hearing impairedpeople to find employment, or remainin their current employment byproviding support. YES is client-focused, and will provide services, forexample, in resume writing, interviews,job search, advocacy, courtrepresentation, training support,support at medical appointments, or toexplain themself to the police for anymisdemeanours. Due to co-morbiditywith other medical or mental healthissues, YES staff may be involved inhousing, training, relationshipcounselling - they are employed towork with the person as a wholeperson, and so not limited to explicitly“work-specific” needs.

YES was set-up in 2003 and initially thefunding was capped to one staffmember and nine clients. In 2010 thefunding cap was lifted, and now todayYES cares for 200 active clients andemploys 15 staff in the capacity ofeither a Job Search or a Supportconsultant. Job search is typically donefrom a reverse marketing perspective,whereby the specific skills of thatindividual are marketed to potentialemployers. In order to improve theprobability that jobs will be available forthe individual, YES employs an analyserwho can closely analyse the labourmarket to know the industries whichare booming and declining, and assuch clients are encouraged toundertake the appropriatetraining/study.

Eligibility criteria for YES servicesinclude: hearing impairment (to anyextent), Australian resident, notworking (or their job is in jeopardybecause of their HL), aged 15 - 65years. Someone can be referred to YESfrom another service or presentthemselves directly to one of the fiveYES offices around Adelaide. YES also

works with the employers to accessfunding for workplace modifications,such as flashing lights, iPad, alarmclock, etc.

But our CPD events don't end there:...we have an endorsed event onTuesday 11 August when we will befortunate to hear from MiriamWestcott regarding Hyperacusis andAcoustic Shock. Then we have anotherSA Chapter meeting on Wednesday 9September accompanied by apresentation on Implantable Devices.Both of these next meetings will be atFlinders University, and start at 6pm.

As part of Hearing Awareness Week,there will be a full-day professionalworkshop, titled “Where are we nowand Where are we heading?”, onTuesday 25th August at Balyanaconference Centre. There are a rangeof local and interstate presenters. Alsoduring Hearing Awareness Week, therewill be a Movie Night on Wednesday 26th August at Hoyts Norwood - be on the look out for the announcement.

SA has seen a recent change to tinnitusservices. Specifically, due to the closingof a private practice in SA, the State

Government funded tinnitus service - Tinnitus SA has closed. As a profession and for our consumers, we hope this isa temporary closure. However, giventhe change from bulk funding toindividual funding, there are severalimplications for information servicessuch as Tinnitus SA. The issues do notspecifically rest with the introduction ofNDIS, but rather where the fundingshould be sought and if it is nowavailable.

There has been some exciting socialnews in SA. We all wish Bianca Liersch,Audiologist UNHS, all the very bestfollowing the arrival of her beautifullittle girl, Edith. Katrina Light, our SAChapter Secretary, also welcomed ababy boy, Luke Robert Buchanan born834am 7/7/15, weighing 3434kg.Congratulations to James on his newbrother. Finally we congratulate our SAChapter chair, Holly Veale, and wishher all the very best for her pendingwedding. Holly was romantically proposed to by her partner (nowfiancé) Aaron while travelling inAmerica during May of this year. �

VALE - CATH BONNES By David May

It is with sadness that I advise that CathBonnes (AM) of Broken Hill passedaway Wednesday 24.6.2015 at theRoyal Adelaide Hospital, aged 94. She has been a long term friend andcolleague to many in the hearingindustry. My association with herstems back some 25 years when shewas involved with Better HearingAustralia. Many of you would haveknown of her work before my time.

Cath is remembered by her dedicationto the hearing sector and to those withintellectual disabilities. Her influencehas been on a policy and personallevel. She has been instrumentalduring her time in founding the BrokenHill Hearing Resource Centre, chair ofDeafness Forum and she has been astrong consumer advocate for theOffice of Hearing Services. She spokeat the 1997 Senate inquiry into servicesfor hearing impaired children. She hasbeen instrumental in facilitating visitsto Broken Hill from specialists andexperts in the field. Her list ofachievements has been endless. Shehas been a strong role model for somany , having a severe to profoundhearing loss herself.

I for one, will miss her fun, herseriousness, her dedication and overall,her genuine outback attitude. �

South Australian News



BY BEC BENNETT WA Chapter

Australia's leading medical educationevent for General Practice The GeneralPractitioner Conference & Exhibition, ,was held in Perth last month. Hearingand audiology took center stage withguest speakers from Australian Hearingand Lions Hearing Clinic. AttendingGeneral Practitioners appeared mostinterested in emerging researchshowing the associations betweenhearing loss and cognitive decline, aswell as some of the emotionalconsequences of untreated hearingloss, such as anxiety and depression.

The UWA Audiology program has beenproactive in recognising the evolutionof our professional scope of practicefrom a “ technology-based" approachtowards a collaborative/counsellingapproach to aural rehabilitation, andintroduced a series of six eveningseminars for students and their clinicalsupervisors focussed on counselling inAudiology. Guest lecturers included MrPat Marwick (Social Worker andDirector of North Metropolitan MentalHealth Services) speaking on generalmodels of counselling, familycounselling and models of grief anddisability counselling; Dr Vesna Maricon counselling in managing tinnitus,acoustic shock and sound tolerancepatients; Dr Dunay Taljaard on theaudiologist's role in paediatric and

family counselling and Dr HelenGoulios and Mrs Karen Parfitt oncounselling in adult aural rehabilitationprograms.

AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA WACHAPTER SUPPORT RURAL ANDREMOTE AUDIOLOGISTSPreparations for the WA AudiologyAustralia State Conference areunderway. To support rural andremote audiologists in WA we wouldlike to offer a complimentary pass totwo rural/remote audiologists to thisyear's WA State conference. To beeligible your primary place ofemployment must be more than100km from Perth CBD. To enter thecompetition please email a 300 wordsummary on why you enjoy working inrural or remote WA [email protected] by30th August 2015. Two winners will beselected by group vote at theSeptember chapter meeting. Winnerswill be contacted via email and thewinning entries published in the fourthquarter Audiology Now magazine.

SAVE THE DATEThe Audiology Australia WA StateConference 2015 will be held onFriday 20th November, at Hillarys YachtClub. The conference will cover a rangeof topics including gerontology, noiseinduced hearing loss, ototoxicity andthe role of audiologists in the operatingtheatre. Keynote speaker Professor

Billy Martin (National University ofSingapore) will also be presenting a fullday workshop on Tinnitus, Hyperacusisand Misophonia on Thursday 19thNovember. Further details will becirculated through Audiology Australiacloser to the date.

The Ear Science Institute Australia willhold their 5th annual researchsymposium "A Life Worth Hearing" onFriday 4th September, at TheBoulevard Centre, Floreat. Thesymposium will exhibit national andinternational guest speakers on earand hearing research in a range offields including clinical, eHealth,epidemiology, cognition and molecularbiology research. Key note speaker DrAriane Laplante-Lévesque (EriksholmResearch Centre, Denmark) will also bepresenting two side workshops on“Help-seeking for hearing impairment”and “Motivation of people with hearingimpairment towards rehabilitation:Theory and Practice”. For moreinformation visit www.thecentre.org.au �

West Australian News

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BY JOHN PEARCYQLD Chapter

The Queensland Chapter is lookingforward to presenting the highlysuccessful workshops on Models ofService Delivery and the EthicsRoadshow. These two importantevents which challenge the way wework will be presented as a doublepackage so we do hope members willcome with their piercing questions andstimulate debate. The event will be inBrisbane on 22nd August and inTownsville on 11th September. Pleasesave the date and look out for thedetails to follow.

Meanwhile the enterprising Universityof Queensland students haveorganised the annual AudiologyGraduate Employment Expo whereemployers are given the opportunity toset up a stand and talk about theirworkplace and the rewards of workingwith them. It was an opportunity topresent, exhibit and get to know the2015 graduates of the Masters ofAudiology Studies program, held all dayat the Indooroopilly Golf Club. This is agreat introduction to the hearingservices industry for all new students.

On the social front, McCoy Harvey,from Oticon Australia, and his wifeAlison celebrated the birth of beautifulbaby Isaac Alan Timothy on 19 May.Isaac's two big sisters, Amelie (3 _ yrs)and Jasmine (2 yrs) absolutely adore

their new baby brother (below left).Wesley and Sandi Ong of FidelityHearing Centre welcomed their littlegirl, Elisa on 30th April 2015 (belowright)

We all heard of the terrible earthquakein Nepal. Many thanks must go to Sueand Lew Tuck from WhitsundayHearing and their efforts beingchannelled through the HimalayanHealth & Hearing Program. TheEarthquake Response has been anamazing and inspirational response forhelping those in need. A report on thework of Himalayan Health & Hearing

Program is included separately in this issue of Audiology Now, but theQueensland Chapter would like toshare this picture of Lew Tuckdelivering teddy bears to brighten thelives of new born babies at DhulikhelHospital (below). �

Queensland News


8-11 October 2015Asia Pacific Conference of Speech,Language and Hearing Biennial Conference Guangzhou, China Website: http://www.apsslh.org/

9-10 October 20156th Annual Coalition for Global HearingHealthGallaudet University, Washington, D.C.Website: http://cghh.usu.edu/

14-16 October 2015 EUHA : 60th International Conference ofHearing Aid Acousticians Nurnberg, Germany Website: http://www.euha.org/events/

23-25 October 2015Independent Audiologists Australia :Tinnitus, Misophonia and Hyperacusis Melbourne, Australia Website: http://www.aaapp.org.au/tinnitus-misophonia-hyperacusis/

9-11 November 201511th National Allied Health ConferenceMelbourne, Australia Website: http://www.nahc.com.au/

28-30 April 2016 15th International Meeting of theMediteranian Society of Otology andAudiologyCappadocia, TurkeyWebsite: http://www.msoa2016.org/

22-25 May 2016Audiology Australia National ConferenceMelbourne , Australia Website: www.audiology.asn.au

5-9 June 2016 29th Bárány Society Meeting, latestresearch and ideas in the field of vestibularsystemsSeoul, South KoreaWebsite: http://www.baranysociety.nl/

18-22 September 2016, 33rd World Congress of AudiologyVancouver, CanadaWebsite: http://www.wca2016.ca/

13-16 April 2016AudiologyNOW 2016! American Academy of AudiologyPhoenix, Arizona, USAwww.audiology.org/conferences/audiologynow

Dates To Remember - Winter 2015


Audiology Australia

AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA OFFICE:

Chief Executive Officer:Tony Coles

Administration Manager: Jan McFarlane

Administration Assistant (PT): Margaret McFarlane

Communications Project Officer: Jenny Smith

STATE CHAPTER DIRECTORS:

New South Wales -Australian Capital Territory

Colleen Psarros Northern Territory: Amarjit AnandQueensland: John PearcySouth Australia: Holly VealeVictoria: Caitlin GrennessWestern Australia: Eliza Pickard

AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA BOARD:

President: Louise HicksonVice President: Helen GouliosTreasurer: Bob CowanDirector At Large: Marian Jones Director At Large: Jason RidgwayDirector At Large: Kristan AbelaDirector At Large: Jacy FellowsDirector At Large: Jenny Smith

ETHICS COMMITTEE: If you wish to report a possible breach of our Code of Ethics contact [email protected]: The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and may not be used in legal argument. Theopinions do not necessarily reflect the views of Audiology Australia Ltd.AUDIOLOGY NOW is the magazine of Audiology Australia Ltd. It is published quarterly. Publication dates can be obtained byvisiting www.audiology.asn.au/index.cfm/resources-publications/advertising/audiology-now/. The Audiology Australia Board isresponsible for editorial content and reserves the right to edit or refuse material submitted for publication.ADVERTISING: A range of advertising options are available. The full range of options including material specifications can beviewed at www.audiology.asn.au/index.cfm/resources-publications/advertising/audiology-now/. All advertising and editorialenquiries can be directed to David Toomey by emailing to: [email protected]

AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA LTD.Suite 7, 476 Canterbury Road, Forest Hill, VIC. 3131Tel: 03 9877 2727 Fax: 03 9877 0645 Email: [email protected]


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