June 5: Telepractice in Audiology: Globalization of Hearing Care

June 5, 2019, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET

Presenter: Bopanna B. Ballachanda, Ph.D.

CEUs: 0.1 AAA CEUs

Duration: 60 Minutes

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Program Focus: Knowledge

Learner Outcomes: Upon completion, each participant in the eAudiology Web Seminar will be able to:

1. Identify the need for telepractice in a clinic to provide better patient care.
2. Recognize the skills and resources needed to set up a successful telepractice within a practice. 
3. Identify the domestic and global opportunities and challenges associated with a telepractice in hearing healthcare

Description:  

Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Teleaudiology is the utilization of telehealth to provide audiological services that includes full scope of audiologic practice. This type of extended care has been effectively used in many countries as well as by several organizations in the US.  The global challenge/opportunity for hearing care in the coming years is enormous. As hearing healthcare providers, we face three critical issues that make the provision of hearing services in the future challenging: First, shortage of hearing care professionals in this country and in several other countries.  Second, the lack of facilities in developing countries to cope with hearing care in the future. According to World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss (328 million adults and 32 million children). Finally, the graying population in this country. Today, people age 50 and over comprise 24% of the US population, with 17 million Americans between the ages of 75 and 85. The problem of shortage of audiologists and a greater demand for hearing care will undoubtedly challenge our support system.  This presentation will address the implementation of a successful telecare in audiology practice, the challenges and opportunities associated with this new area of clinical care. 

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda, will be sharing his successes learned from his multiple years of experiences working in many of his clinics in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.  He was instrumental in establishing a diagnostic and dispensing practice using telecare in audiology to reach patients in rural area of New Mexico, as well as supplementing clinical activities in a busy clinic.