So What is Audiology

1
So What is Audiology ?

• Paul Parkin
• Senior Chief Audiologist
• City Hospitals Sunderland

2
What is Audiology ?

• Discipline of Clinical Physiology which share a
  common training pathway and includes
• Cardiology
• Pulmonary Function
• EEG
• Medical Physics
• Perfusion
• Trainees can be in-post or supernumerary

3
Common Training Pathway

• BSC Physiology (Audiology) with the following
  entry requirements
• 5 GCSEs (including Maths, English Language,
  Physics, Biology or Human Biology)
• and 2 A levels one of which should be a science
  subject or alternative equivalent science based
  qualification (e.g. BTec, HTec).
• 4 year part time course funded by WDC
• 2 days at university
• 3 days in clinical placement

4
Degree Content

• 1ST YEARAnatomy and physiology (20 credits level
  1)Study skills and IT (10 credits level
  1)Physics (10 credits level 1)Mathematics and
  statistics (10 credits level1)Clinical practice
  audiology I (20 credits level 1)Audiology I (20
  credits level 1)
• 2ND YEARApplied biological sciences (20 credits
  level 1)Physiological measurement
  instrumentation (10 credits level 1)Anatomy,
  physiology pharmacology (20 credits level
  2)Clinical practice audiology II (20 credits
  level 2)Audiology II (20 credits )

5
Degree Content

• 3RD YEARPhysiological measurement signal
  processing (20 credits level 2)Research methods
  (20 credits level 2)Biology of disease (20
  credits level 2)
  Clinical practice
  audiology III (10 credits level 3)Audiology III
  (20 credits level 3)
• 4TH YEARPsychosocial aspects of disease (20
  credits level 3)Evidence based practice (20
  credits level 3)Project (20 credits level
  3)Clinical practice audiology III (10 credits
  level 3)Audiology IV (20 credits level 3)

6
Career Progression

• Taken on as trainee MTO grade
• Years 1 and 2 gain skills to become a qualified
  practitioner in audiology.
• Successful completion of years 1 and 2 lead to
  upgrading to MTO1
• Years 3 and 4 gain skills to become a specialist
  practitioner in audiology.
• Successful completion of year 3 leads to
  upgrading to MTO2
• Successful completion of year 4 leads to
  upgrading to MTO3
• Further progression to MTO4 and MTO5

7
What do we do ?

• Receive referrals from ENT Clinicians and
  directly from GPs, Health Visitors,
  Paediatricians as well as from existing patients
• Assessment of hearing in adults and children
• detection and differential diagnosis of hearing
  loss
• Assessment of adults and children for hearing aid
  provision.

8
What do we do ?

• Rehabilitation of adults and children with
  hearing loss.
• Support for existing hearing aid users.
• Assessment and Rehabilitation of patients with
  balance disorders
• Evoked Response Audiometry
• Tinnitus Rehabilitation and Counselling