Independent Audiologists Australia hosted its first in-person event since the COVID pandemic in Melbourne in October 2024. Fifty audiologists from around Australia and New Zealand heard thought-provoking and practical presentations to help their business and clinical decision making.
Professional identity, patient-centred care and ethical practice were the main themes of Independent Audiologists Australia (IAA)’s Audiology for Life! seminar at Melbourne Business School on 11 October 2024.
Delegates were asked, ‘What’s your why?’ and put forward varied reasons why they became an audiologist and why they continue this passion.
IAA president Dr Tegan Keogh and vice-president Dr Greg Butcher welcomed attendees who heard presentations featuring person-centred care and community-centred care as recurring themes.
MC Professor Melinda Edwards, a lawyer, ethicist and Ethics Advisory Services managing director, said businesses were previously dominated by and concerned with just making money.
“The whole mood has changed, businesses need to step up and do more than make money but contribute to a world we want,” she said.
She advised steering culture to an environment of psychological safety where everyone could contribute, feel safe to speak up and had each other’s backs. Weekly meetings could give staff time to talk, discuss “how we lived our values this week and what we did for the community”, which would help staff see they‘re part of those bigger decisions.
Boards and businesses were increasingly conscious of investing that prioritises environmental, social issues and corporate governance, and the public, especially the younger generation, were urging this adoption.
“Even small businesses who can connect with that purpose have opportunity to do more and have more people invest in their success,” Prof Edwards said. “Engaging intentionally is the key to ethical business operations; you align business decisions with ethics, rather than just reacting and putting out fires. You can ask does this align with what we want to build?
“Align systems, processes and ensure KPIs align before putting them in; there should be human intelligence before artificial intelligence as we get ethics and values from humanness.”
Mr Damian Attia, business development manager from the seminar’s platinum sponsor Heidi Health AI medical scribe, said the business was created by a former Melbourne surgeon and many executives have clinical backgrounds. “This is what differentiates Heidi. It asks your speciality and tailors notes to your language so as a clinician you don’t need to redo notes,” he said.
He said practitioners still needed to check notes before uploading to the patient record and must capture patient consent.
Dr Dunay Schmulian, clinical audiologist at Cotton Tree Audiology, and clinical lead at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, provided the context and case for professional supervision as a critical element to manage contemporary, evidence-based, person-centred clinical care. She acknowledged that often, independent practitioners were tasked with more complex cases.
“Clinician wellbeing is what has been missing from professional supervisory practice,” she said. “Practitioners need a supportive environment to manage burnout and stress.
“Supervisors should ensure practitioners provide person-centred, ethical care every time and be alert to symptoms of burnout and compassion fatigue.
“Allocate CPD points for professional, not only clinical supervisory roles: for all clinicians, not only new graduates.”
Dr Schmulian suggested frameworks on how to review, reflect and critique case work, while replenishing clinician morale and wellbeing, extending the premise to advocate to professional bodies that professional supervision should be reflected in CPD.
Audiologist Ms Geraldine Todd, sales director for Widex Australia and New Zealand, another Platinum event sponsor, said the audiology retail sector was navigating a dynamic and highly competitive environment, with consumers increasingly informed, educated, tech-savvy and proactive about their health. “Many have started their journey online before visiting your clinic,” she said.
She said that in 2023 WS Audiology conducted a survey of 1,026 people aged 55 to 90 to better understand consumer awareness of hearing services. Results highlighted a strong correlation between brand awareness and the number of retail locations.
“Encouragingly, awareness of independent clinics is significantly increasing; consumers are beginning to recognise the breadth of services your clinics offer, and that’s something you can be proud of,” Todd said.
Advice to boost uptake included digital and traditional marketing – a professional website with an efficient online booking system, complemented by a strong presence on social media and Google. “The moment a client enters your clinic they should be immersed in an exceptional in-clinic experience where, they feel they’re in a high-value, high-quality environment,” she said. “This includes providing professional, personalised care and offering opportunities to trial cutting-edge technologies.
“Word-of-mouth referrals is one of the most powerful forms of effective marketing and promotion for your clinic.” Todd suggested a referral or business card with a QR code linking to the clinic’s booking system. “Encourage satisfied clients to share it with someone they know who might benefit from your services,” she said.
Keynote speaker, ABC medical journalist, broadcaster and author Dr Norman Swan said community-centred care was as important as patient-centred care. He also urged value-based care which promoted ethics and gave patients autonomy.
“Are you providing value to your patient for the money, time and effort involved?” he asked. “Thirty to 40 per cent of what we do (in health) is waste (X-rays, tests, operations.) Unless you are value-based, there will be waste in audiology practice too; where is it? And if you practise value-based care, is there evidence behind your practice which supports value-based care?”
Dr Swan said although Australia’s health system was better than America’s, it was a lie to say we have universal health care when there are long waiting lists and unequal access with some people dying sooner due to inability to pay.
The postcode lottery where location could decide life expectancy meant a 40-year difference in lifespan between residents of the worst and best places to live. Even within Australian cities there was nine-to-15-years difference, he said.
More complex disease profiles and technology advances meant much health care occurred out of hospital. “Health care is a team sport but we’re not funded or trained to work in teams,” he added.
Supported direct ENT referral
Dr Swan said audiologists should be able to refer directly to ENT surgeons. “There is no reason why audiologists who are registered can’t be trusted to do that but the first step is registration,” he said. “Having referral rights and treatment rights would make a difference. What audiologists are doing is essential work but you want a stronger, more meaningful role in the community.”
Ms Jane Lee, Deafness Forum Australia’s national manager of health programs, detailed her discussion paper on previous Hearing Services Program reviews. “Over three decades there have been many HSP reviews, a lot focusing on administrative and operative functions, but what about the patient and enhancing patient outcomes?” she asked.
She suggested improvements could include clearer information and objectives, a better website, prioritising participants’ outcomes and more telehealth. More could be done in aged care, rural, low income and Indigenous communities to improve access. “The overall framework should focus on how to improve participants’ outcomes,” she said.
Dr Emma Laird, project lead at Soundfair, detailed development of a web app – Luminear – to support the wellbeing of people living with hearing loss. The Soundfair and University of Melbourne project has included human-centred design and preliminary data suggests it significantly reduces anxiety, depression and stress for participants. A randomised, controlled trial will investigate further, Dr Laird said.
Dr Gerard William, founder of Hear with Me Audiology Care, said person-centred care included empowering clients to choose their own rehabilitation pathway by supporting them with clear explanations, involving loved ones where possible, and prioritising a therapeutic relationship involving compassion.
“Your systems should go beyond this and set up to be person-centred from their first interactions – such as a website inquiry or phone call, through to the last interaction – including payment and conversations afterwards,” he said. “Aim to finish on a high as research suggests people tend to remember their last feeling. About 20% of people with hearing aids don’t use them, so there’s always room for all of us to improve aspects of our care. How can we create 10/10 experiences for them?
“Can we give patients better and more accessible information, be more transparent with them in our decision making, or listen to them- as we would like them to if we were in their shoes?”
Access registration for recordings which are available until June 2025 but Dr Norman Swan’s keynote address recording is only available until this Friday 10 January 2025.
