AuDacity 2024 — Conference Agenda

A Separate Registration from AuDacity Required.

The Audiology Success Blueprint is uniquely designed for audiologists who are struggling with feeling overwhelmed and want to feel less drained, while not sacrificing their success. At the end of the day, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of what makes you tick and a clear roadmap for success for you and/or your business. Learn more and register here.

A Separate Registration from AuDacity Required.

The Gold Circle Music audiology class is based on the famed Sensaphonics Gold Circle Seminar, and teaches the evidence-based knowledge, skills, and practices required for successful outcomes when working with musicians, sound engineers, crew, and concert-goers. Gold Circle members are listed on our website as preferred providers of Sensaphonics custom products. Learn more and register here.

This course aims to help participants better understand the benefits of vestibular diagnostics and how to appropriately incorporate this much needed area of practice into everyday clinical care.

• Understand the patient population and opportunity for care
• Learn about revenue generation vs cost and clinical efficiencies to improve reimbursement and patient care
• Learn about the other opportunities vestibular diagnostics can provide for providers and how they can leverage these tools to increase patient volume and revenue

This course hands on, practical course was designed to train audiologists and AuD candidates in various methods of earwax removal, including contraindications and clinical considerations, instrumentation, irrigation, and microsuction. Course attendance will be limited.

1. Attendee will be able to explain how not practicing cultural sensitivity might interfere with our patient relationships around the world
2. Attendee will be able to identify our own unconscious bias when working with patients in our practices
3. Attendee will be able to discuss how the culture of poverty is different from the culture of middle class and upper class in the US and the effect this has on our patients who live in a lower socioeconomic sector.

A common misconception is that as your practice grows, your time shrinks. If you're doing it right, the reality becomes that as your business grows, your time improves and your freedom expands. This session will not only teach you how to experience rapid growth in your practice by doing less, not more, but will also provide five specific moves you can follow to accomplish it. Join me in this engaging session to solve your growth, time, and profit challenges.

1. Describe a time-saving strategic growth path
2. List 5 actionable strategies that lead to rapid growth
3. Describe activities that will assist them in creating a more profitable practice

In this course, panelists will share and discuss current innovations in hearing healthcare with a focus on artificial intelligence in both diagnostics and devices, care delivery, hearing devices and hearables, and hearing conservation tools.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, recently released an advisory on the epidemic of loneliness, a pressing public health issue confronting our nation. Murthy emphasized that social connections are protective and are independent risk factors for conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to dementia. He discussd the import of investing in health care provider education on the benefits of social connections as well as the risks of social disconnections and its impacts on well-being. By integrating social prescribing/connections into preventive care and primary care, he argued that we can help prevent selected forms of social disconnection and can help to mitigate early feelings of isolation and loneliness. The evidence linking social connections to hearing status in older adults is emerging. In their scoping review of the influence of hearing loss on social participation in older adults, Chaintre and colleagues. concluded that that older adults with hearing loss have difficulty maintaining relationships and tend to withdraw from social activities that are considered important to them. The role audiologists can play in facilitating social connectedness as part of routine hearing health care will be discussed along. with the relevance to the. well being of the persons with whom we. work and by association our professional job satisfaction.

• Participants will become familiar with the terms auditory, wellness, social connectedness, loneliness and social isolation
• Participants will gain an understanding of how to quantify auditory wellness and how to optimize it in clinical practice
• Participants will become conversant with evidence linking hearing status two social connectedness

In Matt Hay's "Soundtrack of Silence”, he chronicles his journey with hearing loss due to neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). As a young man, Matt discovered he would go completely deaf, prompting him to create a mental soundtrack of the most meaningful songs and sounds from his life. This practice helped him cope with the impending silence and retain his connection to those cherished memories. Matt will share his story and journey with attendees.

We’ve seen many studies about the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive health. Study findings are often summarized with statistics such as “Hearing aids can slow the rate of cognitive decline by 48%.” However, there is a gap between what these statistics signify to epidemiologists, and what the public takes away from the messages. In this interactive workshop, we revisit what you learned in graduate school about epidemiologic risk at the individual and population level, and we review the various epidemiologic meanings of “prevention.” Along the way, you’ll solve problems with your seatmates.We’ll apply what we’ve learned by discussing several messages that, while technically correct from an epidemiologic perspective, may be misleading and/or of questionable relevance to the typical patient: “Hearing loss is the leading potentially avoidable risk factor for dementia,” “Hearing aids may prevent dementia”, and “Hearing aids can slow the rate of cognitive decline by 48%.”

Audiology state advocacy involves efforts to influence state legislation and policies that affect audiologists and hearing healthcare services. Panelists will share their experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly, in state advocacy initiatives.

Federal audiology advocacy involves engaging with federal lawmakers and regulatory bodies to influence policies that impact audiologists and hearing healthcare. Panelists will share the current federal landscape and how it can impact audiology and hearing care.

Phonak's CCMC (Customer Care Measurement & Consulting) Benchmarking Surveys are conducted annually to gather comprehensive data on the performance of hearing care practices across the United States. These surveys, which Phonak has been commissioning since 2008, provide insights into various operational and financial metrics that help practices benchmark their performance against industry standards. This session will focus on the outcomes of the most recent CCMC survey and how this data can influence your practice.

• The benefits of benchmarking.
• Key performance metrics & industry insights gathered from 2024 survey.
• Impact of best practices on key performance metrics.

Tinnitus, a widespread global health issue affecting quality of life and mental well-being, now has an innovative solution: Lenire. This at-home device, the first to receive FDA approval for tinnitus treatment, employs bimodal neuromodulation to effectively reduce symptoms. Backed by a large-scale, FDA-compliant clinical trial where 83% of participants recommended it, Lenire has also shown positive outcomes in real-world settings. Over 300 patients at Alaska Hearing and Tinnitus Center experienced a strong response to a hybrid care approach using bimodal stimulation, with the vast majority responding positively at the first and second follow-up assessments.

• Attendees will be able to explain the concept of bimodal neuromodulation as it relates to tinnitus treatment.
• Attendees will be able to summarize results of clinical trials demonstrating use of bimodal neuromodulation to treat tinnitus.
• Attendees will be able to summarize real-world results with the Lenire tinnitus treatment device.

Vestibular migraines, also known as migrainous vertigo, are a type of migraine that primarily affects balance and can cause dizziness, vertigo, and other vestibular symptoms. This course will focus on the diagnosis and management of vestibular migraines, including an innovative treatment options that is being evaluated.

A collaborative working group met to develop marketing strategy based on new research about the connection between better hearing and various health outcomes, including cognitive health. This group identified and developed several tools to facilitate both community and medical outreach. Responsible and thoughtful messaging was used to promote a more holistic understanding of the benefits of hearing health.

In this presentation, the results of pilot of the new marketing assets (which were developed by both ADA members and Phonak) will be share by the ADA members involved.

• Describe tools used to carry out an educational event for consumers in their community
• List resources and tools for educating medical professionals in their communities about the benefits of collaborative hearing care
• Describe how to facilitate and structure both consumer and medical outreach marketing programs in their community

A positive company culture is essential for fostering highly motivated and engaged employees. In the hearing industry, the creation of a clinical culture within private practices hinges on the actions and behaviors of management and leaders. Employees thrive in environments where they can make meaningful contributions, and building and maintaining a cohesive team is as crucial as delivering exceptional patient care. This course will explore the key components of culture in private practice, identify drivers of motivation, and examine strategies for universal engagement to enhance both motivation and culture building.

• Describe the impact of company culture on patient care
• Identify common root causes of performance issues
• List 3 types of motivation drivers

This presentation will explore various aspects of team development tailored for audiologists. We will review the "See, Act, Embed" framework to enhance team collaboration and performance. Key topics include recognizing individual motivators and leveraging these to optimize team dynamics. Attendees will gain practical insights on discerning effective behaviors, sustaining long-term change, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Join us to discover strategies that can support your audiology practice and ensure high-level patient care through team collaboration.

• Explain the role of individual motivators in fostering effective team dynamics.
• Summarize the "See, Act, Embed" framework to improve team collaboration.
• Compare six performance drivers that impact team performance including the benefits and limitations of each.

This course will discuss how to clearly, honestly, and ethically communicate the link between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. Panelists will move beyond the hype and focus on how to effectively communicate the true outcomes of the research.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of marketing strategies tailored specifically for audiology practices. Participants will learn how to effectively promote their services, attract new patients, and retain existing ones through a combination of traditional and digital marketing techniques.

1. List the biggest barriers to adoption of hearing treatment as outlined in the study commissioned by CareCredit
2. List key considerations for outreach to young adult consumers
3. Describe methods to overcome financial barriers to accessing hearing care

"Innovations in Speech in Noise" is an area of research that focuses on advancements in understanding and improving how people perceive and process speech in noisy environments. This course will focus on reimagining speech recognition testing and the rehabilitative value of speech in noise testing.

This session will highlight provider compensation structures and related issues such as in-depth insight and analysis on employee contracts, regulatory concerns, ethical considerations and supervision/oversight requirements.

• Employee compensation models
• Employer/Employee relationships in a post non-compete landscape
• Address Legal/Compliance/Ethics relating to the topic

Music audiology is a small specialized field, and until the 2020 clinical consensus document there wasn't much guidance for clinical practice. The speakers were authors on the document, and will review the key implications for clinical practice in the testing and management of Music industry professionals, as well as providing updates on research and technological advancements. One impactful advancement is the availability of tele-audiology, which has the effect of improving access and awareness.

• Apply clinical best practices to the audiologic care of musicians and music industry professionals.
• Identify tools and methods available to verify hearing protection devices and in-ear monitors.
• Assess how teleaudiology impacts access to and provision of hearing healthcare to music industry professionals.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing marketing strategies in audiology by enabling more targeted, data-driven approaches. AI-powered analytics help audiology practices understand patient demographics, preferences, and behaviors, allowing for highly personalized marketing campaigns. Machine learning algorithms analyze customer data to predict needs, tailor advertisements, and optimize outreach efforts. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants enhance patient engagement by providing instant responses and support, improving overall user experience. Presenters will discuss how AI can impact your practice.

Third-party networks in audiology refer to organizations or companies that provide insurance and billing services for audiology practices. These networks often help manage claims, reimbursements, and contracts with insurance providers. In this course, panelists will explain the “why”, from the perspective of the health plan, employer or union and outline what they see as the future of third-party networks in the hearing healthcare space.

Imaging technologies have revolutionized the field of audiology and otolaryngology by enhancing the accuracy of diagnosis and management of auditory disorders. This course Dr. Kutz will discuss the application of various imaging modalities, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and advanced imaging techniques in the differential diagnosis of otologic conditions. It will also outline when an audiologist should refer their patients for imaging.

Join us as we introduce the next technological innovation to the world of hearing care by delivering a revolution in hearing aid technology, transcending one of the biggest challenges in hearing care with unprecedented speech from noise separation.

1. Explain the possible application and benefits of artificial intelligence in hearing care
2. List the new Phonak portfolio of products, features, and performance levels
3. List the benefits of the new Phonak portfolio for both HCPs and patients

As managed care involvement in hearing care continues to grow, audiologists have to make decisions about their participation, as in-network providers, in these health plans. This course will weigh the pros and cons of participation in health and hearing benefit plans and outline how an audiologist can make a decision on participation for themselves and their practices.

Audiologists are likely to be familiar with medications that have ototoxic side effects but may be less familiar with investigational medicines being evaluated for possible prevention of hearing loss, or even hearing restoration. With increasing information available to the public, audiologists may receive questions from patients. This session will provide a tutorial on the regulatory process for review of new drug agents, including consideration of ototoxicity and otoprotection, and updates on agents of interest to audiologists. Clinical trial design and findings will be reviewed, including not only the audiogram but also hearing-in-noise difficulties and tinnitus.

• Describe the regulatory oversight and testing process for investigational new drug agents
• Summarize the current status of drug development for hearing indications
• Identify outcome measures of interest for studies on ototoxicity and otoprotection