• What is your role at HearUSA and what does it entail?
My current role is the Vice President of Professional Services. My primary responsibility is to secure and manage hearing benefits with third party referral relationships, including health plans, self-funded groups, and affinity groups. These large payers and benefit sponsors are looking for partners that will help them to provide quality care, service excellence and affordable hearing products. To deliver on this premise, HearUSA has built a strong infrastructure that balances the administrative, regulatory and clinical pillars of health care. The role of the hearing provider in those partnerships cannot be overstated – delivering an outstanding patient experience is the ultimate…show more content… The guidelines are based on audiology best practices, and include both subjective and objective elements. Our patients receive an otoscopy, a pre-assessment of hearing loss impact, detailed case history, complete hearing evaluation including testing in noise, and a thorough explanation of the test results and treatment options. From there, the patients are invited to experience a hearing aid demonstration so that they can hear the difference between aided and unaided listening. Hearing aid fittings are also grounded in both subjective and objective criteria, with probe microphone measurements, post assessment, LACE, and various types of aural rehabilitation support. This is a dynamic and interactive process, with a primary focus on patient engagement and education throughout the experience. We call this Total Care, and our way of committing to the patient that we will use our experience, expertise and passion to guide them on the journey to better…show more content… Now providers can participate in ongoing continuing education and further their growth and potential.
• In your opinion, what is the best measure a hearing care professional can take – either professional development or customer service – to keep themselves relevant at a time when anyone can cut out the professional by buying amplification over the internet?
I think it’s all of the above! As experts in our field, we have to sharpen our skills across all aspects of professional development. We must have clinical audiology techniques, an in depth knowledge of technology and its applications, superior interpersonal abilities- AND the willingness to demonstrate our mastery in these areas. The advantage of a professional appointment with a licensed provider is that the patient can experience so much more than the web can provide. We must use this time wisely and effectively to gain the confidence of our patients. Then we will establish credibility and value that exceeds patient
