Alignment of Audiologists' Values With Best-Practice Standards: Insights From a National Survey

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Healthcare
• Professional Values

Background:

• Previous research identified audiology values via content analysis of best-practice documents.
• The study aimed to validate and rank these audiology values.
• Focus was placed on the prescription and dispensing of amplification devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the existing list of audiology values.
• To elicit and rank the values of practicing audiologists nationwide.
• To compare audiologists' value prioritization with best-practice documents.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to 289 audiologists across 46 states.
• Participants ranked 18 predefined values and suggested additional ones.
• Qualitative content analysis and Kendall's rank distance test were employed.

Main Results:

• No new values were identified; respondent suggestions aligned with existing ones.
• A ranked list of audiology values based on mean importance was established.
• Substantial agreement was found between survey results and best-practice document prioritization.

Conclusions:

• The study validated a comprehensive list of audiology values and their rank order.
• Findings provide a basis for understanding how values influence decisions for individuals with hearing difficulty.
• Addressing values conflicts can improve hearing healthcare adoption and effectiveness.