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I often share with friends and colleagues those thoughts about audiology that have indiscriminately robbed me of my evening slumber. One of the more persistent thoughts is the unknown number of audiologists embracing and carrying out best clinical practices. My thoughts are buoyed when I talk with colleagues who consistently and happily follow best clinical practices. They clearly take joy in demonstrating to their patients the value of an audiologist as a critical component of the health-care community. 

COVID-19 has created much uncertainty about how the world will change. One area of concern for hearing-care professionals is the audiometric booth. In addition to door handles and surfaces potentially being contaminated, the air in the room can also be compromised if measures to ensure effective ventilation aren’t taken.

What is ‘Normal’ Hearing?

Ask an audiologist what “normal” hearing is and, not surprisingly, you will get a variety of responses (Figure 1). Certainly, normal pure-tone threshold sensitivity does not rule out hearing difficulty or the presence of auditory pathology, including cochlear and auditory neural peripheral or central deficits. Further, a number of non-auditory factors can contribute to a patient’s perceived hearing difficulty (e.g., cognitive capacity, attention, medications, etc.). 

During spring 2020, higher education faced drastic changes to education delivery due to the coronavirus  pandemic. The rapid change challenged clinical education goals due to clinic closures and the cessation of student participation in patient care and hands-on laboratory experiences. 

The clinical coordination team at The University of Texas at Dallas focused on the clinical education of its AuD students and telehealth service delivery, embracing that this journey could improve student education and patient care beyond simply the bare minimum.