Programme overview
Introduction:
Audiology and hearing services management, covering newborn screening and hearing aid programmes, is a 1-week course for managers of audiology departments, hearing centres and screening programmes, ending with a Hearing Service Operating Plan for a case organisation. Services lose babies between a failed screen and diagnosis, run booths and audiometers past calibration dates, carry long fitting queues and cannot show what device users gain. Nominees already supervise audiology or screening staff and work through case studies on screening logs, booth records and device programme data. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this audiology and hearing services management course.
Course Objectives:
- Map the audiology service portfolio, from diagnostic clinics to screening, hearing aid, implant and tinnitus services, and select a service model for a defined population
- Organise newborn and school hearing screening pathways against the EHDI model and the 1-3-6 benchmarks, with tracking that closes loss to follow-up
- Run a calibration and equipment control schedule for sound booths, audiometers and screening devices referenced to IEC 60645, ISO 8253 and ISO 389
- Operate hearing aid fitting, review and repair workflows and the cochlear implant team pathway from candidacy referral to long-term device support
- Track hearing outcome, timeliness and device-use measures and present them in an audiology service scorecard
- Build referral networks with ENT, paediatrics, speech and language therapy, education and early intervention services and assemble a Hearing Service Operating Plan
Target Audience:
- Managers responsible for hospital audiology departments, clinic templates and audiologist staffing
- Coordinators responsible for newborn or school hearing screening programmes, screener teams and follow-up tracking
- Managers of hearing centres responsible for hearing aid fitting volumes, device stock and repair services
- Leads of cochlear implant and implantable device teams responsible for referral intake, device support and activity reporting
- Quality and biomedical engineering leads responsible for audiometric equipment calibration and service performance reporting
Course Outline:
Day 1: Audiology Service Portfolio and Hearing Service Baseline
- Audiology Service Portfolio From Diagnostics to Tinnitus Care
- Hospital Department, Standalone Hearing Centre and Outreach Model Comparison
- Hearing Loss Prevalence Profile and Population Demand Estimation
- Audiologist, Screener and Technician Roles and Clinic Templates
- Hearing Service Baseline Review of Activity, Waits and Gaps
Day 2: EHDI Screening Model, Equipment Standards and Service Governance
- EHDI Programme Model and the 1-3-6 Benchmark Targets
- OAE and AABR Two-Stage Newborn Screening Pathway Design
- School Hearing Screening Rounds, Consent and Referral Thresholds
- IEC 60645 Audiometer Requirements and ISO 8253 Test Conditions
- ISO 389 Reference Zero and Sound Booth Ambient Noise Checks
Day 3: Running Screening, Calibration and Hearing Aid Operations
- Screening Tracking Database and Loss to Follow-Up Recall
- Calibration Calendar, Daily Listening Checks and Equipment Log
- Hearing Aid Fitting Workflow, Review Appointments and Repair Turnaround
- Hearing Aid Stock, Loan Devices and Battery Supply Control
- Diagnostic Clinic Booking Rules for Infants and Adult Referrals
Day 4: Cochlear Implant Programmes, Outcome Tracking and Service Risks
- Cochlear Implant Team Pathway From Candidacy Referral to Activation
- Implant Programming Visits, Processor Upgrades and Device Failure Logs
- Hearing Outcome and Device-Use Measures for Service Reporting
- Referral Network Agreements With ENT, Paediatrics and Early Intervention
- Audiology Service Scorecard for Coverage, Refer Rate and Timeliness
Day 5: Case Study Build of the Hearing Service Operating Plan
- Case Screening Log Review and Follow-Up Gap Diagnosis
- Case Booth and Audiometer Calibration Record Audit
- Case Hearing Aid Queue and Implant Clinic Capacity Redesign
- Case Referral Network Map and Scorecard Targets
- Hearing Service Operating Plan Completion and Peer Challenge
Skills You Will Gain:
- Hearing Service Portfolio Planning
- Screening Pathway Tracking
- Audiometric Calibration Control
- Hearing Aid Workflow Management
- Implant Programme Coordination
- Hearing Outcome Reporting
- Audiology Referral Network Design
- Device Stock Control
Why Attend This Course:
- Deliver a Hearing Service Operating Plan for a case organisation to the audiology head and the hospital or centre management team
- Decide screening staffing, booth capacity and hearing aid clinic sessions from tracking and waiting list data
- Avoid missed infant diagnoses, invalid hearing tests from out-of-date equipment and device users left without repairs
- Brief screeners, audiologists and biomedical engineers on the tracking routine, calibration calendar and scorecard
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant presents the Hearing Service Operating Plan to the audiology head and the hospital or hearing centre management team. They use it to approve the screening pathway and tracking routine, the calibration calendar, hearing aid and implant clinic capacity and the referral agreements with partner services. Screening coordinators apply its recall rules and biomedical engineers its equipment schedule. After the first quarter, the service should compare screening coverage, refer rate, follow-up completion, fitting waits and device repair turnaround with the baseline and adjust the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before an audiology and hearing services management course?
Participants should already manage or coordinate an audiology department, hearing centre or hearing screening programme. Bringing anonymised screening logs, clinic templates, calibration records or device waiting lists helps them apply the tracking, calibration and scorecard exercises to their own service.
How does audiology and hearing services management differ from a clinical audiology or general rehabilitation management course?
It covers how hearing services are run: screening pathways, equipment calibration control, device programme operations, outcome tracking and referral networks. Clinical audiology courses teach test and fitting techniques, and rehabilitation management courses address therapy units, therapist caseloads and functional outcome scores.
Why does loss to follow-up matter in audiology and hearing services management?
Screening only helps when infants who do not pass reach diagnosis and intervention on time. Loss to follow-up or documentation is the main weakness of screening programmes, so managers need tracking databases, recall routines and timeliness measures against the 1-3-6 benchmarks.
What do participants take back from the audiology and hearing services management course?
Participants take back a Hearing Service Operating Plan for a case organisation, with a screening tracking routine, calibration calendar, hearing aid and implant clinic capacity plan, referral network map and service scorecard they can adapt to their own department.