Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA.
Department of Speech and Hearing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Int J Audiol. 2022 Apr;61(4):265-272. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2021.1937348. Epub 2021 Jun 17.
This study surveyed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the audiology workplace.
The study used a cross-sectional survey design for audiologists across the globe ( = 337) using an online survey (June-August 2020) focussing on changes to the workplace during the pandemic.
Participants represented varied work settings and audiology services. Only a third (31.5%) provided psychosocial support, which may be important during the pandemic, as part of their services. Almost all (97%) audiologists reported changes to their workplace, with 76.4% reporting reduced caseloads during the COVID-19 pandemic. When rating their current and anticipated work conditions, 38.7% reported reduced working hours although only 13.8% anticipated reduced working hours in 6-months' time. Audiologists ranked services such as access to hearing assessment, hearing device adjustment and maintenance, and general audiological support as being more important during the pandemic than services such as psychosocial, emotional and tinnitus support.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions to audiological practice that highlights the need to adapt and incorporate new audiological practices including telehealth, to ensure patients have continued access to care and clinics remain sustainable during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recovery phase.
本研究调查了 COVID-19 大流行对听力学工作场所的影响。
本研究使用了全球范围内的听力学从业者的横断面调查设计（ = 337），使用在线调查（2020 年 6 月至 8 月），重点关注大流行期间工作场所的变化。
参与者代表了不同的工作环境和听力学服务。只有三分之一（31.5%）提供社会心理支持，这在大流行期间可能很重要，是其服务的一部分。几乎所有（97%）的听力学从业者都报告了工作场所的变化，其中 76.4%报告在 COVID-19 大流行期间减少了病例量。在评估当前和预期的工作条件时，38.7%的人报告工作时间减少，尽管只有 13.8%的人预计在 6 个月内工作时间减少。听力学从业者将听力评估、听力设备调整和维护以及一般听力学支持等服务评为在大流行期间比社会心理、情感和耳鸣支持等服务更重要。
COVID-19 大流行对听力学实践造成了重大干扰，这凸显了需要适应和纳入新的听力学实践，包括远程医疗，以确保患者能够持续获得护理，并且在持续的 COVID-19 大流行和恢复阶段，诊所能够持续运营。
