When looking for someone to help you with your hearing, balance, brain, and healthcare concerns, the question might become, “Who to trust?” There are different professionals out there who can help you with your hearing needs: an audiologist or a hearing instrument specialist.
An audiologist has a doctorate in audiology, which includes eight years of study of the ear’s anatomy and physiology, acoustics, sound properties, foundations of speech and language, amplification, and psychoacoustics. They must pass several exams and become licensed and certified. Doctors of Audiology typically have a minimum of 1150 hours of patient contact, which means they have extensive experience working with patients with a wide range of hearing conditions.
Complete Hearing’s Doctors of Audiology also have training in tinnitus, brain and balance. Both of which are directly related to your ears.
To become a hearing instrument specialist (HIS), there is a minimum requirement of a high school diploma and a passing score on a single credentialing exam. They can test your hearing and dispense hearing aids. They have basic knowledge of acoustics, sound properties, and the ear’s anatomy. The scope of practice for an HIS does not allow for removing cerumen/wax, treating tinnitus, or evaluating the balance system.
Questions to ask yourself while selecting an Audiologist:
- What is their philosophy when it comes to treating hearing loss?
- What types of patients do they typically see? What are their areas of expertise?
- Are they experienced in helping patients similar to yourself?
- How committed are they to the community?
- What is their level of communication and how experienced are they?
- What do their reviews say?
The main thing to look for when researching an audiologist is to make sure you feel comfortable in their care. You need to be able to share your hearing concerns with your specialist and know that they are able to look out for your entire hearing health and not just sell you a device.
If you have any questions about the audiologists at Complete Hearing, we encourage you to call or email us. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have about our experience, our patient philosophy, and our commitment to care.
Doctors of Audiology
