Audiology Clinical Practice Algorithms and Statements
Description
The Joint Audiology Committee on Clinical Practice Algorithms and Statements was established to achieve consensus and identify areas in which common policy for the entire profession would benefit recipients of care and to define clinical practice patterns and guidelines by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, additional relevant positions and products of the American Academy of Audiology, and the goal of the US Department of Veterans Affairs to establish clinical guidelines including step-by-step decision trees called clinical algorithms.
Key Points
The purpose of clinical practice statements and their associated decision trees (algorithms) is to recommend doing or not doing procedures to solve a clinical problem. Audiologists use them to outline the types of procedures they may conduct and interpret based on a patient’s presenting concern and history. Although they are not intended to prescribe a particular protocol, they are representative of current preferred audiology practice and can serve as useful reference for other professionals, accrediting bodies, administrators, and third-party payors.
Practice algorithms provide diagrammed guidelines using a step-by-step decision tree. Practice statements accompanying each algorithm serve as support documents that provide further explanation of the clinical process. Five Audiological Practice Statements and Algorithms have been developed: Overview of Audiology Services; Comprehensive Audiological Assessment (developmental age 5 years through adult); Hearing Aid Selection and Fitting (adult); Cochlear Implant Assessment, Programming, and Audiological Rehabilitation (adult); and Pediatric Audiological Assessment (developmental age less than 5 years).
Get Involved
Whether serving on a clinical document development panel or participating as peer reviewers, volunteers have regular chances to deepen their engagement with the Academy and make important contributions benefiting the field of audiology. If you are interested in clinical document development, please volunteer to express interest and submit a CV to the Academy’s guidelines staff by email.
To view the list of guidelines and strategic documents in development and to learn more about the Academy’s clinical document development process, visit the Academy’s Practice Resources website. Information from interested members is accepted on an ongoing basis, and members will be contacted as clinical document volunteer openings occur.
