Strengthening the role of the audiologist in the digital age

Abstract

More than half of the world's population (3.8 billion people) is connected to the internet via a smart mobile device, opening the door to eHealth, which allows health care practitioners to establish new service delivery methods that maximize access to care, improve impact and efficiency, and reduce health care costs.2 Audiology is often associated with the use of multiple technologies to assist patients on their journeys. However, while audiologists share positive attitudes toward eHealth audiology, only 25 percent of them have used it in clinical settings, and many have concerns about the impact of automated testing on future job security. With the COVID-19 pandemic reshaping professional and social landscapes, it has highlighted the critical role of connected technologies during these unprecedented times. In one way, the pandemic has accelerated eHealth trends that were already starting to shape the future of health care and audiology.