Gardner Audiology, a Tampa Bay hearing healthcare company, collected consumer opinion surveys from 117 patients who were offered Tele-Audiology services in 2017.
The hearing doctors of Gardner are pioneers of Tele-Audiology. During the past 3 years they have installed virtual exam rooms in 7 locations. In March of 2017 they formally began offering remote hearing care services from both doctors and their assistants.
Gardner Doctors began interviewing and recording patient perception of Tele-Medicine. Out of 117 patients ,78% said they had no idea what tele-medicine or tele-health meant. The remaining 22% reported a vague perception of those terms. Once the process was explained the majority of those surveyed said they would try. Ninety- nine percent of those patients who received remote services were satisfied with an average of 90% certainty. Those participants received services that included new fittings of hearing aids, follow up appointments, adjustments of hearing aids and doctor consultations.
Summary
Most study patients were very impressed with the technology that Gardner employed. Tele-Audiology will satisfy consumers, if and only if, audiology practices employ the best online technology (video, audio, data) that will deliver best practice outcomes. Over the past 6 months Gardner Audiology has scheduled 300 tele-audiology appointments with doctors and hundreds more with assistants and administrative staff. Their patients appreciate having convenient access to their favorite doctor. Gardner Audiology is more efficient and satisfies more patients with Tele-Audiology.
