Audiologists are persons who, by virtue of academic degree, clinical training, and professional credential, are uniquely qualified to provide independent professional services to promote healthy hearing, communication competency, and quality of life for persons of all ages through identification, assessment and diagnosis, treatment, conservation, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring of hearing, auditory function, balance, and other related systems. Audiologists are highly-educated professionals who must have a minimum of a master’s degree in the field of clinical audiology.
Audiologists are autonomous practitioners who work independently or as part of interprofessional teams in hospitals, clinics, schools, private practices, early intervention programmes, research centres, rehabilitation centres, manufacturing companies, universities, and other settings in which audiologic services are involved.
Apart from serving as clinicians and therapists, audiologists also assume a number of roles including professors, managers, administrators, researchers and business professionals. Audiologists are professionals with a common commitment to research and public education as well as a belief in mentoring new graduates and supportive personnel. They –
- provide clinical and academic training to students in audiology;
- teach physicians, medical students, residents, and other professionals about the auditory and vestibular system;
- develop and oversee hearing conservation programs in business and industry; and
- serve as expert witnesses within the boundaries of forensic audiology.
The supervising audiologists maintain legal and ethical responsibility for all assigned audiology activities provided by audiology assistants and audiology students.