An Audiologist, or Hearing Doctor, is a medical professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of balance disorders, hearing loss and related issues in children and adults. Their duties include completing hearing exams, fitting, adjusting and maintaining patients’ hearing aids and providing treatment for balance disorders.
A Audiologist should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Audiologist should be able to execute:
- Examine patients with ear, hearing or balance and other related problems.
- Determine the best course of treatment, taking the patient’s needs and concerns into consideration.
- Assess exam results and diagnose the patient.
- Fit and dispense hearing aids.
- Provide counseling for the patient and close family members on how to best listen and communicate using methods such as lip reading or technology.
- Evaluate and follow up on the patient’s condition and record any developments.
- Educate patients on ways to prevent hearing loss.
- Research causes and potential treatments for hearing and balance disorders.
A competitive Audiologist will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Ability to communicate with patients about sensitive topics
- Ability to work with other medical professionals as needed to diagnose and treat patients
- Compassion
- Patience
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to apply medical knowledge to patient cases to treat and diagnose each case
