On the Ear: An Audiology Podcast

Guest: Derek Stiles, PhD, CCC-A - Dr. Stiles is the Director of the Diagnostic Audiology Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, and his team recently developed metrics for measuring productivity in their department. In this episode, he describes their process for developing wRVUs, how it affects workflow, and how current clinicians can incorporate these ideas into their productivity metrics.

Guest: Madison Howe, AuD, CCC-A - Dr. Howe shares the ways that clinicians can adjust their practice to improve inclusivity for their gender-diverse patients. Her discussion includes tips, training, language, and opportunities for growth that audiologists can utilize to ensure their care is compassionate and culturally competent.

Guest: Teddy McRackan, MD - The guest shares his work evaluating the poor correlation between cochlear implant speech recognition scores and patient-reported outcome measures. Discussion explores how we can improve pre-CI evaluations and patient expectations, as well as a new tool developed to assess CI Quality of Life.

Guest: J. Riley DeBacker, AuD, Ph.D. - Mentorship is a topic not often formally taught but critical to the success of professionals in a variety of backgrounds. Not only can mentorship benefit mentees, but also mentors and the profession as a whole. Dr. DeBacker shares his insights on the impact mentorship has played in his career, and how those not currently engaged can seek it out.

While many audiologists specialize in different types of care, such as tinnitus, vestibular, or cochlear implants, few emphasize the distinct connection between our field and that of musicians. Dr. Heather Malyuk is a clinician who focuses on providing cutting-edge care for musicians, as a specialist in Music and Alternative Audiology. She explains her work with this population, and how the future of audiology can be shaped by this work.

Pediatric audiologists serve a variety of roles in providing hearing healthcare, but in hospitals and medical-based programs, that role can stretch into the complex realm of palliative care. This discussion includes where the audiologist fits into this sensitive aspect of care, and how they can work collaboratively with other professionals involved.

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Donna Sorkin, executive director of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, shares her journey to receiving a cochlear implant, including the sounds, experiences, stresses, and successes. She explains how music sounds with her implant, accessible technology, and how she uses the technology to empower her life and leadership role.

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Dr. Donna Smiley explains her journey of over 30 years in audiology, from clinical to educational settings, and now in a leadership role at ASHA. She shares how audiologists can become better advocates for the profession, insights into what the future may hold for the field, including what to expect with over-the-counter hearing devices, and the unexpected opportunities they might offer.

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Dr. Liz Fuemmeler and Dr. Daniel J Romero are vestibular scientists that are involved in research and clinical work. Liz is one of a handful of private practice vestibular specialists, and Daniel is at the forefront of vestibular research. Tune in to find out how each of them became interested in the vestibular field, and what their advice is to other audiologists looking to improve their balance care. From lessons learned while collaborating with other healthcare professionals, to their favorite cases, you won’t want to miss out on this fascinating episode!

Dr. McCreery discusses his experience transitioning from clinical audiology to research work with the Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss (OCHL) study at Boys Town National Research Hospital. He reviews their findings, including the impact of newborn hearing screening, early intervention, and advances in hearing technology on a wide range of outcomes for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.