Michael:
Perhaps you need to take a look at your definition of "audiology". My
definition tends to include both the assessment and (re)habilitation of hearing
loss.
Just because counselling and aural rehabilitation is not always bill-able, it
doesn't mean that we are not responsible in some form or another for carrying
out these roles. And it is not our role to categorize patients' problems or
concerns as valid or not, nor to prioritize those we feel as less or more
deserving of our services. People come to us for our expertise in our
testing/technical (for lack of a better word) abilities, in our expertise
re:hearing aid fitting, and in our expertise in the area of counselling and
insight into their hearing and communication-related problems. Some people even
come to us because we listen to their concerns, believe it or not! That's what
makes us different from your local hearing aid dealer. Because we see the
individual as a WHOLE person, not just a hearing aid sale!!!
You talk of time versus effectiveness...well, when you listen to people and
address their concerns, that is effective...in the long run, by taking a little
time to effectively counsel the individual re:their communication difficulties,
expectations w.r.t. their new hearing aid, etc., you will in fact spend less
time counselling in the long run. And you will be more effective in treating
the whole person...
And for the record, the real world is like that, at least in my practice.
I guess I'm just another do-gooder!
Kimberly A. Eskritt
