BSHAA statement on remote hearing care

15 May 2020

BSHAA is urgently working towards guidance that supports and encourages innovations that enable a safe, effective and consistent approach, offering open access to hearing care for as many as possible.

This will inevitably involve ways of remote consultation and tap into new technologies, whilst building on the uniquely professional skills of audiologists to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients.

Digital offerings cannot fully replace our traditional consumer service channels. However, the profession has to firstly adapt to address the new situation and secondly to consolidate the new ways of working. This may mean that an initial guide will be produced to address remote hearing care during COVID-19 and that another, produced post COVID-19 to address audiology virtual health broadly, is then created. This ‘next’ normal for most, will most probably employ a combination of virtual and face to face interactions with our customers.

In the meantime, we call on audiologists to place the consumer’s interests first and foremost in any decisions, to be cautious in moving forwards in small steps, to be tolerant of colleagues who offer a different perspective.  Above all, we want people to engage with BSHAA’s standards committee, so that we can offer considered advice, help and support, whilst also informing and accelerating the development of fresh guidance.

15 May 2020

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