Written by Dr Tegan Keogh (PhD - Audiology) IAA President

Independent Audiologists Australia (IAA) strongly believe in registration, via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), for ALL Audiologists, regardless of the workplace you work in. For over 15 years, IAA has lobbied and campaigned government for what we think is an important step in the quality assurance of our profession.

IAA cares about the standing of Audiologists within the community, and the way Audiologists are portrayed in the public eye, which is why in 2023 IAA was the only professional body to submit a request for registration at the National Health Ministers Meeting.

We care about ensuring that the public can receive quality care, in addition to the future of student Audiologists, and their positioning within the sector. Put simply, there are significant reasons why IAA continues to advocate for this important step which enhances our profession (for more about Ahpra, see this link: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/About-Ahpra.aspx )

Ahpra registration enhances:

1. Protection of title

According to Ahpra, in Australia, the titles of registered health professions are 'protected' by law... (continue reading)

THE STATE OF HEARING HEALTH IN AUSTRALIA: TIME FOR CHANGE

Audiologists for AHPRA by 2026

When we commemorated World Hearing Day last month and reflected on the theme of 'Changing Mindsets’, it's evident that the Australian hearing health sector stands at a pivotal juncture. David Brady, Chairperson of Deafness Forum Australia, aptly encapsulates the moment's urgency: "It’s about ensuring quality, education, and most importantly, safety." Indeed, it's time for a transformation in audiology that prioritises regulation, education, and patient well-being.

In recent years, alarming incidents have shaken public confidence in the provision of quality hearing care in Australia. Reports of catastrophic failures in hospital audiology departments, where children received cochlear implants programmed incorrectly, highlighted systemic deficiencies in our current self-regulatory system. These lapses not only result in immediate harm but also perpetuate lasting disadvantages for individuals and families, impacting their lifelong speech and language development. The need for external regulation of audiology as a specialist allied health profession has never been more pressing. Continue Reading...

INDEPENDENT AUDIOLOGISTS AUSTRALIA: HEALTH MINISTERS MUST PUSH FOR REGISTRATION OF PROFESSION FOLLOWING SHORTFALLS IN TWO HOSPITAL AUDIOLOGY DEPARTMENTS

Paediatric Certification not fit-for-purpose, AHPRA registration of audiologists urgently needed

November 17th, 2023 –

Independent Audiologists Australia (IAA) has welcomed the report released by the Townsville Hospital and Health Services (THHS) following the investigation of the Townsville University Hospital's (TUA) Audiology department. IAA believes that THHS should take action on all 25 of the recommendations in the report. The investigation was initiated by THHS's internal audit process after a cluster of "unexpected outcomes" was discovered in the follow-up testing of newborns from the hearing screening program. THHS voluntarily expanded the review to include cochlear implant mapping outcomes after becoming aware of reported adverse outcomes at South Australia's Women's and Children's Health Network (WCHN). THHS should be commended for initiating a timely, transparent, and comprehensive investigation.

IAA was saddened to see these issues surface in hospitals across multiple states. We raise concerns that audits are not routinely performed in all states, and recommend that this be considered with urgency. The reviews of both TUH and WCHN highlight the challenges encountered by audiology departments in hospitals—over-scheduling, understaffing, and audiologists often working in isolation. The THHHS recommendations included collaborative models of care, and engagement with external providers. Where possible, IAA strongly believes that patients should be informed of community-based, private, and not-for-profit cochlear implant and audiology services.

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From Deafness Forum Australia's November 2023 'One in Six' magazine:

Calls for National Regulation of Audiologists: Townsville hospital audiology failures prompt millions in compensation.

Reported in this article by Andrew Messenger for The Guardian, The Queensland government will pay more than $2.2m to families of 97 child patients of a hospital’s audiology unit.

Townsville University hospital’s audiology unit programmed cochlear implants in some children incorrectly, misdiagnosed others, and even conducted hearing tests on an infant who was asleep*, a damning independent review has found.

The clinic is the only public option for many patients in northern Queensland, who would otherwise be forced to travel to Brisbane for specialised care.

The clinic was poorly organised, staff were overworked, and key protocols did not appear to be followed, leading to poor outcomes, monitoring, measurement, and reporting.

An investigation was conducted and last week a report was published. Read the report. The Queensland government has promised to spend more than $2.2m compensating the families of 97 patients who required additional testing and follow-up care as a result of the errors.

Read the full article here

*A clarification from IAA: Most infant hearing tests such as ABR and OAEs are appropriately performed while the infant is asleep or in a quiet, restful state. Cortical testing (the test flagged in the report) is a specific verification measure requiring that the infant be awake.

OpinionHealth

Why Australia must break the conspiracy of silence and restore hearing to the most vulnerable

Ranjana Srivastava

It is time the government listened to the experts and reined in misleading providers

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Wed 5 Jul 2023 12.01 AEST

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“If I don’t do something about my hearing, I fear I could lose my mind.”

While hearing loss is indeed a strongly modifiable risk factor for dementia, it shouldn’t have taken this pronouncement for me to pay attention.

For some years, my mother has observed that her hearing isn’t as good as it used to be, which describes nearly three-quarters of people like her over age 70. But she seemed to get by in social settings and sometimes at home we just shouted a little louder.

Attracted by an ad for free hearing aids at a mall, she met an obliging man who, after perfunctory testing, declared that she needed hearing aids. She demurred due to the stigma but the man kept calling and texting every week. Eventually, the combination of “wasting the poor man’s time” and her own concern led her back to the shop where she was fitted with a pair of hearing aids. To her mind, their being “free” reasonably mitigated any downside. “If they work, that’s good; if not, they are free.”

Read the full article...

INDEPENDENT AUDIOLOGISTS AUSTRALIA CALLS FOR INDUSTRY REGULATION  
IN WAKE OF COCHLEAR IMPLANT PROGRAMMING REVELATIONS 

 IAA member flags incorrectly mapped paediatric cochlear implants  
 

“We welcome the announcement that an independent and external review will be conducted by the South Australian government, of the cochlear implant program at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, in light of their recent public apology for incorrectly programming the cochlear implants of one in four children in its program” - Dr Tegan Keogh, President, Independent Audiologists Australia (IAA). 

IAA supports the call for an extensive and independent review of the Hospital’s cochlear implant mapping program, in addition to the diagnostic Audiology program.  Read more...

IAA  talks with former member James Roxburgh  who  has carried influences from audiology to the writing and  publication of his first novel, The Banksia House Breakout,  released today by Ventura Press.

Play the video  below  for the full  conversation between  IAA CEO Louise Collingridge and James  Roxburgh. 

IAA members adopt best health practice to minimise the spread of infectious diseases in their clinics.  Audiology is low risk for spreading disease and where possible consultations can be conducted via the telephone or internet.

Any member of the public with concerns about attending an audiology clinic can contact IAA as well as their clinic,  to discuss.

CapTel's US operation has stepped in to temporarily keep their text-captioned telephone service running for Australia's deaf community despite the Federal Government cancelling its deal with the service provider.

Read the full article from the ABC here...

IAA is pleased to announce that Emma Quigley, audiology student at Flinders University is the recipient of the 2019 Judith Boswell Scholarship.

Emma's reflection on her clinical placement, assisted by the scholarship is as follows:

I feel very fortunate to have received the Judith Boswell Scholarship, which allowed me to take part in a rural placement. Block placements provide an opportunity to develop clinical skills through observation, discussion with professionals, and hands on experience, and I believe having the opportunity to experience this in a rural setting truly enhanced my learning. This was my first of two block placements for my degree. My placement consisted of time spent alongside audiologists at Australian Hearing as well as attending interprofessional education sessions and conducting school hearing screenings alongside other professionals through the University Department of Rural Health, both located within Broken Hill.

Upon arriving in Broken Hill I discovered that within rural settings often an audiologist’s role involves more than one specialty, covering both paediatric and complex client caseloads as well as requiring a solid understanding of different cultures within their community. As a student this was highly beneficial as it meant I was exposed to a wider range of clients all with differing needs.

I feel that through having placement in Broken hill I have become more open to working in a rural location, knowing both what a difference it makes to the lives of those who live in rural communities as well as the advantages it could have on my own learning as a professional. I was amazed at the cooperation between organisations within the community, in particular the measures put in place to provide access to services for those in smaller surrounding communities where often resources were limited.

Through the University Department of Rural Health, I was also able to meet and interact with students from other disciplines. This enhanced my understanding of the roles of other disciplines as well as being able to share with them our role as audiologists. Building this relationship between disciplines and learning how our roles overlap in a rural setting is important for ensuring each client gets the care they need through the correct referral pathways.

I would highly recommend rural placements for anyone looking to challenge themselves and expand their clinical skills. It is a chance to become more familiar with other cultures, new environments and to gain a better understanding about the barriers to accessing health services in a rural setting, of which I believe is an integral part of anyone’s professional development. I am therefore very grateful to Independent Audiologists Australia for their contribution which allowed me to be part of such an enriching experience.

Emma Quigley