Community-Based Intervention Determines Tele-Audiology Site Candidacy

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Public Health
• Telehealth

Background:

• Many community members face significant barriers accessing traditional audiology services.
• Underserved populations often struggle with transportation, motivation, and financial constraints to seek hearing healthcare.
• Identifying these barriers is crucial for developing accessible audiology solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess barriers to audiology services in underserved community settings.
• To deliver audiology services directly within community environments.
• To evaluate community sites for potential tele-audiology implementation.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 63 participants across 3 community sites.
• Administered questionnaires on demographics and access barriers.
• Conducted pure-tone audiometric exams using portable diagnostic equipment.
• Provided counseling on hearing loss and protection, with referrals as needed.

Main Results:

• Audiometric results varied across sites, though were similar within sites.
• Over 30% of participants desired more frequent audiologist visits.
• Key barriers identified included transportation, motivation, and cost.
• Eleven participants were referred for further care; questionnaire data informed tele-audiology site considerations.

Conclusions:

• Direct provision of audiology services in community settings is feasible.
• Key obstacles to traditional audiology access were identified.
• Study findings provide a foundation for establishing a tele-audiology practice to enhance hearing healthcare accessibility.