With their extensive knowledge and expertise, audiologists are crucial partners in their patients’ hearing health. They conduct comprehensive assessments to diagnose hearing loss, perform various procedures, fit and maintain life-altering devices and provide invaluable health care education. However, there may be tasks that can be passed on to other staff, like an Aud Tech or HIS, to ensure audiologists can focus on maintaining the highest quality of care. In this Ask Fuel First section, Rose DuLude, Director of Audiology at Fuel Medical, draws on her vast experience as an audiologist serving both large physician groups and individual private practice physicians, as well as her role as a consultant for hearing health practitioners, to address the question: When is the right time to hire an Aud Tech or HIS?
The Role of the Audiologist
Before we delve into the question of when to hire an Aud Tech (audiology technician) or HIS (hearing instrument specialist), it’s crucial to understand the multifaceted role of an audiologist. Whether in an ENT practice or a specialized audiology clinic, audiologists play a pivotal role in each patient’s health care journey. They bring a wealth of expertise to several areas, including:
- Diagnosis and Evaluation: Patients may see an audiologist after a physician referral or choose to book an appointment directly with an audiologist. They perform various tests and procedures, such as pure-tone audiometry, bone conduction and speech tests, otoacoustic emissions, ear wax removal, etc.
- Treatment Options: Audiologists discuss treatment options with patients, including which hearing aids work best with each patient’s diagnosis and lifestyle.
- Aural Rehabilitation: The management of hearing loss extends beyond prescribing hearing aids. Patients need to acquire communication strategies, such as lip-reading or effective requests for rephrasing. Aural rehab encompasses communication skills, self-advocacy and teaching patients to care for and manage hearing aids or other assistive devices in various situations.
- Ongoing Care: Hearing loss often increases with age or the onset of other conditions. Audiologists provide ongoing care to ensure treatment plans remain effective and make adjustments as necessary.
- Emotional Support: Losing your hearing can be traumatic, so audiologists provide counseling support to patients when possible. Depression is a comorbidity associated with hearing loss, which is why emotional support is vital.
Audiologists have advanced skills that are critical to patient care. However, when their time is dominated by routine tasks that don’t require significant interpretation, such as cleaning and maintaining hearing aids, collecting data or answering basic questions, they have less time to devote to the abovementioned high-level tasks. This is when you should consider hiring an HIS or Aud Tech.
What Is the Difference Between an Aud Tech and an HIS?
If the audiologist focuses on the more complex areas of hearing health care, then the Aud Tech supports the audiologist by performing routine tasks. The HIS, however, is a credentialed professional in their own right. Although there is some overlap of duties that can be performed by both HISs and Aud Techs, the most distinct differences reside in licensure and tasks performed.
Licensure
A significant difference between an HIS and Aud Tech is licensure: To work as an HIS, employees must have some form of licensure (in most states), but Aud Techs generally do not.
HIS
Each state has licensure requirements, but most require HISs to have some form of licensure. Typically, that means attending an educational program, receiving on-the-job training and completing an exam. To learn more about HIS requirements for your state, contact these organizations:
- International Hearing Society (IHS): HIS offers a credentialing program recognized by some practices.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): ASHA outlines state licensing requirements.
- State Regulatory Boards: You can also search for your state’s Department of Health to find HIS licensing requirements.
Even if your state doesn’t require an HIS to be licensed, finding candidates with some credentialing or basic training is in your best interest.
Aud Tech
No national Aud Tech license exists, but you should check with your state to ensure they follow basic guidelines. If you plan to hire or advance a current employee’s career trajectory to Aud Tech, consider enrolling them in Fuel Medical’s Aud Tech program (see your regional team for more information).
Tasks Performed
HISs and Aud Techs improve the patient experience and contribute to a smooth workflow, but they cannot diagnose hearing loss. The type of tasks they perform can also vary depending on different factors, such as state and insurance guidelines and requirements.
For example, in some states, an HIS may perform patients’ hearing tests, but Medicare won’t pay for hearing tests performed by HISs, thus limiting their scope of practice for Medicare patients. Other insurance companies may pay for hearing tests performed by an HIS. If the practice offers free hearing tests, it may be acceptable for an HIS to conduct those tests because they weren’t billed (this applies in some states).
Because of the variability, the task lists below are generalizations. To be sure, you’ll have to research the requirements of your state and the insurance companies you’re contracted with. Also, check out Ask Fuel First’s article “Billing and Coding for Audiology, HIS and Aud Tech Positions” (coming November 2024).
HIS
- Hearing Evaluations and Other Basic Testing: An HIS can perform otoscopy and, in some situations, perform basic hearing screenings; however, an audiologist should provide a diagnosis based on the audiogram.
- Selecting and Fitting Hearing Aids: Based on diagnoses, an HIS can take the lead in helping patients select hearing aids based on their unique preferences and ensure earmolds fit well.
- Programming, Troubleshooting and Maintaining Hearing Aids: Based on patients’ audiograms, an HIS can program hearing aids, troubleshoot issues (such as Bluetooth® connectivity and battery life) and provide instructions for cleaning and maintaining hearing aids.
- Initial Consultation and Patient Education: An HIS can explain the types of hearing aids your practice offers and teach patients how to use them for optimal health care.
Aud Tech
- Basic Education and Troubleshooting of Hearing Aids: Aud Techs can answer basic questions about hearing aids, instruct patients on changing batteries, show them how to connect to other devices and provide general cleaning tips. When patients have issues with hearing aids, Aud Techs can perform basic troubleshooting.
- Ordering and Unpackaging Hearing Aids: Aud Techs can liaise with hearing aid manufacturers to order devices, record inventory received and prepare devices for dispensing.
- Scheduling and Appointments: Aud Techs can prepare exam rooms, guide patients to those rooms and collect patient data before the audiologist arrives. When patients need follow-up appointments, an Aud Tech is the perfect person to schedule them.
- Perform Tests: In some situations, practices may ask Aud Techs to perform basic testing. Again, Aud Techs shouldn’t diagnose hearing loss. Check with state and insurance requirements to determine your Aud Tech’s scope of practice.
Next Steps
Deciding to hire an HIS or Aud Tech can be difficult. Many in the practice don’t understand what the people in these positions can and cannot do while following state requirements and insurance companies’ policies. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cut-and-dry answer to describe each role’s duties because of complex variables. However, it is clear that HISs and Aud Techs can improve the patient experience by contributing to a more streamlined process.
At Fuel Medical, we believe that HISs and Aud Techs can relieve the pressure on busy audiologists by performing more routine and less-skilled tasks, such as ordering, fitting, cleaning and troubleshooting hearing aids. That means audiologists can devote their time to tasks they spent years training for, such as assessing and diagnosing patients and providing aural rehab to make the transition to hearing aids more successful. When your team of audiologists, HISs and Aud Techs collaborate, it’s a win-win for you and your patients. Contact your regional team today for more information on hiring an Aud Tech or HIS.
