LM305 - Sound Decisions: Navigating Work-Related Hearing Evaluations

Abstract:
Audiologists evaluating workers hearing and making work related determinations must follow a thoughtful and careful process and make a decision on whether or not a workplace exposure caused, contributed to, or made an existing hearing impairment worse. Most graduate coursework does not cover this process and audiologists are compelled to learn through trial and error. This presentation will use recent published guidance from CAOHC to discuss the process, potential issues encountered in the workplace, common ethical dilemmas, and help audiologists conducting work related understand the dos and don’ts so they do not inadvertently find themselves in legal trouble.

Summary:
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 22 million workers In the United States are exposed to hazardous noise with 53% reporting not wearing hearing protection. Audiologists are regularly called upon to evaluate workers hearing and to make determinations of work relatedness when employees suffer significant changes in hearing. The process of making a work-related determination requires review of exposure records, company safety data, interviewing employees, and then determining whether a work exposure caused the change in hearing, contributed to the change in hearing, or make an existing hearing impairment worse. The process of determining work relatedness is not a process taught in most graduate coursework and is often learned through on-the-job training or by trial and error. It is also a process that is easily compromised and can result in ethical dilemma. Audiologists conducting work related determinations need to understand the dos and don’ts related to the process to ensure they do not inadvertently find themselves in legal trouble. The Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) recently published a guidance document on the topic as part of their alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This presentation will discuss the four-step process of conducting a work relatedness evaluation and the regulatory requirements applicable to all audiologists and non-physician licensed healthcare providers conducting such exams.

Brief Summary of Clinical Takeaways:
Participants will understand key processes involved in making work-related determinations of hearing loss, potential ethical dilemmas, and regulatory restrictions that many audiologists are not aware of that may affect their practice should a determination be legally challenged.