Academy Weighs in With Massachusetts Licensing Board Regarding Telehealth Flexibilities

The Academy submitted a letter to the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology in opposition to a draft policy that would require audiologists to provide an in-person assessment prior to providing services via telehealth.

The Academy recommended that the Board of Registration allow clinicians to evaluate patients through telehealth based on clinical judgement and needs of the patient, without a mandatory in-person assessment.

This flexibility is critical to ensure that patients of all ages in rural and underserved areas are able to receive services in a timely manner. The Academy cited the successful track record of the use of telehealth in audiology—specifically by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The proposed policy would also jeopardize an existing remote auditory brain response (ABR) program that currently exists to provide infant hearing screening to hospitals on Cape Cod.