FAQ's – Teleaudiology Guidelines

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the impact of the Teleaudiology Guidelines for Audiologists and Audiometrists?

The Teleaudiology Guidelines offer a blueprint for delivering hearing services, safely and effectively, by an Audiologist or Audiometrist in a different location to their client.

The Guidelines are intended to:

support the decision making of Audiologists and Audiometrists
enhance consumer access to quality hearing services regardless of a consumer’s location, abilities, social or economic circumstances.

Are the Teleaudiology Guidelines mandatory for Audiologists and Audiometrists?

No. Teleaudiology is a service delivery option.

Clinical competencies and duty of care apply to an Audiologist or Audiometrist whether a hearing service is delivered in person or remotely.

Audiology Australia does not mandate standards for any service delivery models.

Why do we need Teleaudiology Guidelines now?

Delivering health care remotely has evolved over many years for a wide range of health services. The 2019 Roadmap to Hearing Health, building on earlier Parliamentary and other reports, identified the potential of teleaudiology to address inequitable access to hearing services for people living in rural and remote parts of Australia.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the level of interest in and take up of teleaudiology to support Australians’ hearing health during lockdowns, travel restrictions and temporary business closures.

The Teleaudiology Guidelines will help improve models of care for people who need hearing care and ensure the consistency of quality services across Australia.

As the Ida Institute reported in 2021, “…the hearing care of the future is not location specific…and, in most cases, care will be a hybrid of in-person and remote” [Future Hearing Journeys, 2021].

How and when should teleaudiology be used?

Teleaudiology is a service delivery option that complements in-person services. Audiologists, Audiometrists, providers and clients may choose to use teleaudiology or not. How and when it is used should be guided by:

the professional judgment, skills and competencies of the Audiologist or Audiometrist
the client’s preferences, hearing care needs, digital literacy and capability
access to technology and reliable infrastructure
safety and cultural responsiveness

Do the Teleaudiology Guidelines duplicate elements of the existing Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice etc?

No. The Teleaudiology Guidelines complement guidance documented elsewhere such as:

the Code of Conduct and Scope of Practice
privacy principles and data security guidelines
funders’ requirements for public and private health services delivered under the Hearing Services Program, the Medical Benefits Scheme, Private Health Insurance or the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Do the Teleaudiology Guidelines address the delivery of hearing care across national borders?

Teleaudiology is already being used to provide hearing care across Australia’s national border:

by an Australian based Audiologist or Audiometrist to an Australian resident travelling overseas or to a citizen of another country, for example through an international aid program
by an Audiologist or Audiometrist in another country to a client resident in or visiting Australia

Audiologists Audiometrists and providers must be aware of and comply with the legal and regulatory requirements including professional standards, accreditation and/or licensing that apply in the client’s location.

Clients using teleaudiology should confirm where their Audiologist or Audiometrist is based as well as their accreditation and membership of Audiology Australia, the Australian College of Audiology (ACAud) or the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia (HAASA).

What consultation was undertaken to develop the Teleaudiology Guidelines?

Extensive consultation with Audiologists, Audiometrists, hearing services providers, consumers and other hearing health stakeholders was undertaken in 2021 and 2022. Feedback was provided through focus groups, written comments, individual interviews and a survey.

Should consumers read the Teleaudiology Guidelines to know if it is the right choice for their hearing care?

No. The Teleaudiology Guidelines are written for Audiologists and Audiometrists. We are developing consumer-friendly resources for people who need hearing services to help them make informed choices about teleaudiology.

Is teleaudiology as effective as in-person care?

Yes, teleaudiology can deliver hearing care safely and effectively. In some circumstances, teleaudiology may enhance the level of care, for example, by:

offering more options to involve other health care professionals in an appointment who are in different locations to the client and/or Audiologist or Audiometrist
using teleaudiology to follow up after appointments maintains continuity of care
improving access to care for people who need hearing services and experience a shortage or lack of locally available services, mobility challenges, or cannot get to in-person appointments owing to family and/or work responsibilities
offering more flexible and convenient options for a client to interact with their Audiologist or Audiometrist from their home, workplace or another location that is quiet with a stable internet connection.

Will teleaudiology replace in-person services?

Teleaudiology is an alternative way to deliver hearing services. It can complement in-person care. The client’s preferences and circumstances should be considered together with the professional judgment of the Audiologist or Audiometrist about how to achieve the best outcomes for their client.

Which services are suitable for teleaudiology?

Most hearing services can be delivered using one or more forms of teleaudiology. Clinical guidance is a key element of the Teleaudiology Guidelines, drawing on evidence and other considerations to help an Audiologist or Audiometrist determine how to achieve optimal outcomes for their client.

Who can use teleaudiology?

Teleaudiology is suitable for anyone who requires hearing services, regardless of age, location, residential arrangements, abilities, or social and economic circumstances.

Qualified and accredited Audiologists and Audiometrists can deliver hearing services using teleaudiology. In doing so, they must abide by:

the Scope of Practice, Code of Conduct, Professional Practice guidance and Competency Standards
legal and regulatory requirements such as privacy, record keeping etc.

Teleaudiology Guidelines do not replace or diminish the professional judgement and duty of care that Audiologists and Audiometrists apply to their clinical practice.

What is teleaudiology? Is it different from telehealth?

Telehealth, also called remote care, virtual care or telepractice, refers to delivery of health services from a distance. The term “teleaudiology” is used when this health service refers specifically to audiology services, i.e., the delivery of hearing services by an Audiologist or Audiometrist who is in a different location to the client.

Teleaudiology covers many different modes of interactions between an Audiologist or Audiometrist and a client including:

email
text messaging
phone calls
videoconferencing
websites and Apps
web chats.

Teleaudiology can occur:

in real time (synchronously) when an Audiologist, Audiometrist or one of their team members interacts with a client on the phone, videoconference or via an App
with a time delay (asynchronously) when the interaction takes place for example by email, text messaging, website or via an App
as a mix of the above (hybrid), where a client receives some hearing services in-person and others by one or more forms of teleaudiology.

Teleaudiology may involve another person (a significant other, carer, health professional or trained assistant) to support the client or help the Audiologist deliver the service.