I’m An Audiologist. Come Again? The Public Un-Awareness of Audiology

By Bre Myers and Brenna Carroll

This article is a part of the July/August 2017, Volume 29, Number 4, Audiology Today issue.

Audiologists possess amazing knowledge and skills that can change someone’s life, but we have had a difficult time spreading the word. The work we do day in and day out can truly enhance the quality of life of the individuals we serve. But, the messaging to the general public has been limited and ineffective, thereby reducing the number of people who seek our care.

There is a lack of public awareness of the audiology profession. We can all contribute to reverse the narrative of public “unawareness” and tell a better story about the benefits of hearing and balance wellness.

Audiology has made some progress through the years toward increasing the level of public awareness. However, most of the general public, fellow health-care providers, insurers, regulators, and legislators do not know who we are or what we do.

There have been several events in the past highlighting the importance of hearing health care. C. Everett Koop, MD, a pediatric surgeon by training, served in the U.S. Public Health Service and acted as the 13^th Surgeon General under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Koop facilitated many important public health campaigns on tobacco use, AIDS, and rights of disabled children, and he became a stalwart advocate for early hearing loss identification and prevention for people of all ages (Wikipedia, 2017).

During this time, President Ronald Reagan, the 40^th President of the United States, publicly announced that he was using hearing aids to treat his hearing loss. Subsequently, President Bill Clinton, the 42^nd President and our first “baby boomer” in the Oval Office, made it publicly known that he was using hearing aids for his hearing loss, at the age of 51 (Shogren, 1997).

More recently, hearing-loss prevention issues received major nationwide coverage in 2010 when New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany had their son, Baylen, sporting a nifty set of headphones to protect their infant son's hearing from the crowd noise at Super Bowl XLIV.

Then there was Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympic athlete in the history of the games, and his then-fiancée, Nicole, protecting their son’s hearing at the August 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

These public examples of hearing care and protection were powerful images. There was some immediate public notoriety but limited sustainable effects with regard to the elevation and recognition of the benefits of hearing and balance wellness.