What is an Audiologist?

An audiologist is a healthcare professional specializing in identifying, diagnosing, treating and monitoring disorders of the auditory and vestibular system portions of the ear. Audiologists are trained to diagnose, manage and/or treat hearing or balance problems . They dispense hearing aids and recommend and map cochlear implants. Although the vast majority of hearing problems do not require medical or surgical intervention, audiologists are clinically and academically trained to determine those that do need medical referral. They counsel families through a new diagnosis of hearing loss in infants, and help teach coping and compensation skills to late-deafened adults. They also help design and implement personal and industrial hearing safety programs, newborn hearing screening programs, school hearing screening programs, and provide special fitting ear plugs and other hearing protection devices to help prevent hearing loss.

Allan Franklin is a board certified doctor of audiology. While an audiologist can have either a masters or doctoral degree in audiology, Dr. Franklin has achieved the highest clinical degree available. The audiologist must also be licensed or registered by their state to practice audiology. Audiologists are required to obtain continuing education annually in order to maintain their state licensure.”

The audiologist can also obtain independent certification from the American board of audiology (ABA). ABA certification requires each audiologist to commit to continuing education that meets or exceeds licensure requirements in each of the states. The ABA certification program also requires that each audiologist pass objective assessments with respect to this continuing education. The audiologist must complete 60 hours total of continuing education every three years in order to maintain board certification.

What is a hearing instrument specialist?

A hearing instrument specialist (HIS) provides services for the testing, selection and fitting of hearing aids, as well as ongoing follow-up care and counseling. Individuals who have met the standards and requirements established by the current IHS bylaws and Code of Ethics are designated Hearing Instrument Specialists®.

Hearing Instrument Specialists® must pass state/provincial examinations and meet appropriate training requirements. Additionally, IHS members are required to maintain their professional competency through continuing education.

The hearing instrument specialist may also obtain independent certification through the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS). NBC-HIS is an independent professional certification board that conducts national competency examinations and offers Board Certified status to hearing instrument dispensers who meet its standards of competence. To become Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences, dispensing professionals must pass the National Competency Examination and have at least two years experience. Individuals who have attained the Board Certified designation are distinguished by the credentials BC-HIS following their names. The hearing instrument specialist must complete 24 hours of continuing education every three years in order to maintain board certification. 

How is an Audiologist different from a hearing instrument specialist? 

The biggest difference between an audiologist and a hearing instrument specialist is education.  Hearing instrument specialists are not required to complete any college education in order to obtain or maintain certification.  A significant discrepancy also exists in the amount of required continuing education necessary to maintain board certification.  The audiology board requires 60 hours of CE over a three year period, including objective assessments of retention.  The hearing instrument specialist is only required to complete 24 hours of CE with no objective assessments. 

What is an Audioprosthologist? 

An Audioprosthologist is a hearing instrument specialist. It is the position of the American Academy of Audiology that hearing aid dispensers who are not licensed audiologists are misrepresenting their qualifications to consumers when they use titles such as “audioprosthologist” or similar terms that imply the practice of audiology.

It is my opinion that this misrepresentation is intentional and unethical.  I feel the same regarding the practice of naming a business in such a manner as to imply it is associated with a university or involved in scientific research.