Teleaudiology Services in Australia: A National Survey of Hearing Health Care Consumers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of Australia-based hearing health care consumers regarding the (a) provision and utilization of teleaudiology services, (b) experiences with teleaudiology, and (c) barriers and enablers to future teleaudiology use. METHOD: A national prospective self-report online survey was completed between April and October 2020, amid COVID-19. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (closed-answer items) and content analysis (open-text responses). A total of 381 participants (Mage = 72.07 years ± 10.08, 142 females) were recruited from different states and territories of Australia. RESULTS: Despite positive outcomes reported by those who undertook teleaudiology appointments during COVID-19, results indicate low-consumer teleaudiology uptake. It can be inferred that consumers were not aware of teleaudiology as an appointment option, clinicians/clinic staff had not informed and/or supported teleaudiology as an option, and biases existed that prevented teleaudiology being more widely adopted. It is unclear whether consumers who were eligible for government subsidies understood that teleaudiology appointments were reimbursed through government funding. Barriers to future teleaudiology uptake were largely related to concerns regarding confidentiality and privacy. CONCLUSION: Low consumer uptake of teleaudiology appointments appears to be driven by consumer preference for in-person services, which appears to be driven by lack of knowledge regarding the availability and effectiveness of teleaudiology. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25619808.

Utilisation of tele-audiology practices in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives of audiology clinic owners, managers and reception staff.

OBJECTIVE: To canvas the views of Australia-based hearing healthcare clinic owners/managers and reception staff regarding the utilisation, experiences and perspectives of providing tele-audiology services during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A national prospective self-report survey was completed online. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty-one clinic owners/managers (Mage 54.43 years, 15 female) and 58 reception staff (Mage 42.88 years, 49 female) from Australia-based hearing clinics. RESULTS: Clinic owners/managers reported an increase in use of tele-audiology services as compared to pre-COVID-19. Reception staff reported providing more advice and support to clients over the phone. Both clinic owners/managers and reception staff indicated key barriers to providing tele-audiology services to include concerns about their clients' digital and technological literacy and the perception that in-the-clinic appointments deliver better client outcomes than tele-audiology appointments. CONCLUSIONS: The increased utilisation of tele-audiology services observed appears to be largely influenced by COVID-19 related factors (e.g. maintaining client and staff safety and increased funding). It is therefore possible that utilisation of tele-audiology service may drop once the threat of the pandemic has subsided. Perceived barriers relating to clients' digital literacy and the effectiveness of tele-audiology services require attention to safeguard the future of tele-audiology service delivery in Australia.

Barriers and facilitators to tele-audiology service delivery in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives of hearing healthcare clinicians.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the utilisation, safety, cost, and patient outcomes of delivering tele-audiology services during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A national cross-sectional self-report online survey asking participants to reflect on interactions with hearing services between April and October 2020. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The COM-B model of behaviour change guided survey creation and the presentation of a subset of the results. STUDY SAMPLE: 249 Australia-based hearing healthcare clinicians (age range 23-74 years; 162 female). RESULTS: Clinicians reported an increase in the use of tele-audiology services, with key drivers relating to keeping their patients safe and keeping businesses running. Clinicians generally viewed the provision of tele-audiology services as successful and resulting in improved patient outcomes. Overall, clinicians were highly motivated to provide tele-audiology services, and they expressed being confident in their knowledge and understanding of tele-audiology service delivery. Barriers to providing tele-audiology services included concerns about the reliability of the results obtained from remote assessments, as well as concerns around information security and privacy issues. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians' motivations to use tele-audiology services appeared to be driven by their desire to maintain COVID-safe practices during the pandemic and by the COVID-driven increase in availability of funding for tele-audiology services.