Overview

Professional Communication in Audiology is one of five texts planned within the Basic Audiometry component of the Core Clinical Concepts in Audiology Series. This book is designed to provide students of audiology and practicing clinicians with a global framework for understanding the role of communication in audiologic practice, as well as practical strategies for implementation of communication principles in a clinical setting.

The introduction to the text describes the importance of communication skills to audiologic practice. This section highlights important aspects of communicating in a clinical setting, including forces affecting reporting guidelines, privacy considerations, and the use of electronic medical records. The next section provides readers with fundamental principles that provide a framework for critically thinking about communication. These universal principles can be applied as a model to all areas of clinical communication. The text then leads the readers through application of these principles in the two most common methods of clinical communication: talking and writing. These skills are discussed specifically in relation to clinical audiologic practice, in the realms of both diagnostic and audiologic intervention paradigms. Examples reflective of real-world encounters are provided. The text also provides abundant examples of audiologic reports that can be utilized as templates in audiologic practice.

Audience

Primary Subject: Audiology / Professional Issues
Secondary Subject: Audiology / Textbooks
Audience Level: Professional/Textbook - Desk Copy

Chapter 1: Introduction

• What’s the big deal?
• Who decides?
  • Employer guidelines
  • Third-party providers
  • Accrediting bodies (JCAHO)
  • The professional
• Privacy and other Considerations
  • HIPPA
  • Electronic Medical Records

Chapter 2: Principles for Communication

• Have a plan
  • Know what your goals are
• Know who you are communicating to
• Get the order right
  • Begin at the end
• Choose the right words
  • Consistent terminology
  • Make it clear and concise
• Emphasize the important

Chapter 3: Talking

• Talking to patients and family members
  • Gathering Information: The patient history
    • Goals
    • Information to Gather
      • Primary Complaint
      • Hearing Problems
      • Hearing device use
      • Tinnitus
      • Pain, fullness, pressure
      • Ear surgery
      • Ear infections
      • Dizziness
      • Family history
      • Noise exposure
      • Medications
      • Illnesses or Medical Conditions
    • For Children:
      • Speech and Language Development
      • Physical Development
      • Special Services
      • School Performance
      • Pregnancy and Birth History
      • Outcome of Newborn Hearing Screening and Subsequent Hearing Tests
  • Providing Information: Communicating results and counseling
    • Focus on the patient perspective
    • Goals
      • Help the patient understand the nature and degree of hearing loss
        • Type of hearing loss
        • Degree of hearing loss
      • Help the patient understand the effect of their hearing loss on communication
        • Communication challenges resulting from hearing loss
      • Make sure the patient understands the next steps to be taken
        • Physician referral
        • Audiologic (re)habilitation candidacy
• Talking to other professionals
  • Goals
  • Diagnostic outcomes versus diagnosis
  • Lines of reporting and referrals

Chapter 4: Writing

• Introduction
  • Documentation versus reporting
• Hearing Test Results
  • Goals
  • Information to Convey
    • Case History
    • Middle Ear Function
      • Sample Terminology
    • Type of Hearing Loss
      • Sample Terminology
    • Degree and Configuration of Hearing Loss
      • Sample Terminology
    • Speech Audiometric Results
      • Sample Terminology
    • Change in Hearing Status
      • Sample Terminology
    • Site of Disorder
      • Sample Terminology
    • Recommendations
      • Sample Terminology
  • Reporting “No response”
  • Reporting reliability
  • Emphasize the important
• Electrophysiology Results
  • Goals
  • Information to Include
• Auditory Processing Testing Results
  • Goals
  • Information to Include
• Progress Notes
  • Goals
  • Information to Include
• Supplemental Material

Appendices

• Report Templates
  • Audiogram Example
  • ABR Example
  • APD Example
  • Case Histories (general and detailed/specialty)

About The Authors

Virginia Ramachandran, AuD

Virginia Ramachandran, AuD, is a Senior Staff Audiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.

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Brad Stach, PhD

Brad Stach, PhD, is Head of Division of Audiology in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery with Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan.