Advocating for Audiology: Student Power in Shaping Hearing Healthcare

By Renee Alvarado Briere

Embarking on a journey in audiology extends beyond the realms of textbooks and clinical practice. It presents an opportunity to become an advocate for positive change. Discussing advocacy in audiology and understanding how students can make a significant impact in shaping the future of hearing healthcare is crucial. There are many  steps you can take to start or continue advocating in the field of audiology!

What is advocacy in audiology?

Advocacy, as defined by the American Academy of Audiology, involves educating and shaping policies related to hearing and balance healthcare, while raising the profile of audiologists with public policymakers. This involves actively promoting awareness, influencing policy changes, and improving access to essential hearing healthcare services. Advocacy has a ripple effect, touching not only the lives of your individual patients but also influencing the broader landscape of hearing health. As a student, you can play a pivotal role in this process, acting as a catalyst for positive change.

How can I advocate?

Some ways you can facilitate advocacy is by raising awareness, influencing policy changes, and improving access to services. Raising awareness through sharing stories of personal experiences and patient successes is a powerful tool for introducing others to audiology and what you do. Participating in community events is also a great way to raise awareness and engage locally. By actively involving yourself in local initiatives, you acknowledge and address the hearing needs of your community. This direct engagement not only fosters trust and rapport but ensures the efforts are specific to the community you are serving. Advocating can be made simple by contributing to the professional Political Action Committee (PAC) and becoming a member of state and national professional organizations. These platforms not only provide resources for advocating on audiology issues but also offer a collective voice to individuals passionate about prompting audiological causes.

Students can influence policy changes by identifying gaps in hearing healthcare and becoming involved in the local or state government level. Policy changes are frequent in healthcare, which can have a significant impact on audiology as a profession and your approach to patient care. Involvement can include reaching out to policymakers through letters, meetings, and participation in advocacy days. In addition, it is important that students work to improve access to hearing healthcare. Insurance advocacy is crucial for comprehensive coverage of audiological services, enhancing accessibility and affordability. Students can also support initiatives addressing barriers to audiology services, such as programs offering affordable hearing aids, as a way to improve access.

Audiology advocacy is not possible without efforts from both students and professionals. There are several reasons why individuals may not engage in advocacy. Common barriers to engagement include a lack of familiarity with ongoing advocacy initiatives, uncertainty about how to participate, and underestimating the impact of a single phone call, email, or meeting in the legislative process (Baxter J. H., 2022).

Simple Examples/Tips to Start Advocating for Audiology

• For community outreach and education, provide hearing and balance screenings at health fairs or local events.
• Become a member of both national and international audiology organizations.
• Attend conferences and events to network with other professionals. Working together and learning from one another can foster advocacy through collaboration, especially at the local level.
• Engage with legislators through letter campaigns and participate in advocacy days for improved hearing health policies.
• Utilize social media as a platform for information. Developing engaging content on social media helps raise awareness and reach a wider audience. Also, joining online communities further amplifies advocacy efforts.

Why should I advocate?

Engaging in advocacy offers many benefits for students. One significant advantage is enhancing your professional development. By actively participating in local and national initiatives, you can refine essential skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership, all of which are invaluable assets in future careers. When you advocate for audiology, you not only improve the profession, but promote healthy hearing in your community. Overall, being engaged empowers students to grow personally and professionally while contributing to the field of audiology and patient education.

As audiology students, you have the opportunity to actively shape the future of hearing healthcare through impactful advocacy. By actively engaging in advocacy initiatives, you contribute to a world where everyone has the opportunity to experience the richness of sound. A simple step you can take is to register for alerts from the legislative action center. Get involved, make a difference, and amplify your voice to shape the future of audiology advocacy!

Resources

Advocacy. American Academy of Audiology. (2024, January 22). https://www.audiology.org/advocacy/

Advocacy. Student Academy of Audiology. (2023, September 23). https://saa.audiology.org/get-involved/advocacy/

Baxter J. H. (2022). The Audiologist’s Role in Advocacy. Seminars in hearing, 43(1), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1743121