Ms Patricia Van Buynder1, Ms Simone Punch1, Ms Alison King1
1Hearing Australia, Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Trish Van Buynder is the Principal Audiologist with Hearing Australia responsible for the clinical standards and quality in relation to specialist paediatric services. She also has extensive experience in the development and delivery of specialist clinical training.
Trish previously worked with the National Acoustic Laboratories as a senior research audiologist responsible for overseeing audiologists and audiological implementation on various studies including the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI) study, Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss (CUHL) study and Mild Matters study. She has a passion for improving children’s outcomes with research and data.
Abstract
This presentation will discuss recent changes in Hearing Australia’s paediatric triage pathway, the integration and enhancement of telehealth services, and the introduction of impression scanning.
Issues:
Hearing Australia’s paediatric triage tool consisted of up to 14 questions which could make it time consuming to administer and complete and confusing for families. A review was conducted to investigate improving efficiency and client experience while still effectively identifying children at risk of hearing loss.
Additionally, while telehealth has been offered to families of young aided Australians, a recent review aimed to identify barriers to the use of video in appointments compared to telephone services, to further optimize accessibility.
Delays in sending physical ear impressions to manufacturers, especially in regional and remote areas, can prolong fitting times, highlighting the need for a more efficient process.
Outcomes:
The refinement of the paediatric triage tool has improved the efficiency of prioritising infants and children at greater risk of hearing loss and allowed for the introduction of online booking as an option. Barriers in the use of video in telehealth appointments, compared to telephone, were identified. The introduction of impression scanning for earmolds, allows for a faster turnaround time and a more accurate impression reducing the likelihood of discomfort, feedback or need for refitting. These innovations streamline the triage process improving access and timeliness and enhancing the delivery of intervention to meet family’s needs.