The impact of COVID-19 on provision of UK audiology services & on attitudes towards delivery of telehealth services

Objective: To (i) identify the impact of COVID-19 on provision of UK audiology services across sectors (ii) compare teleaudiology service provision between private and public sectors before and after the introduction of restrictions and (iii) identify barriers to teleaudiology delivery amongst UK hearing care professionals in both sectors. Design: A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey study design. Responses to the structured questionnaire were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Study Sample: UK based hearing care professionals (HCP) (n=323) completed the survey (218 public sector; 89 private sector). Results: Changes in working patterns varied greatly between different sectors, with 61% of national employed and 26% independent audiologists being furloughed, compared with 1% in the public sector. Use of telehealth was under-utilised across all sectors and groups in UK hearing healthcare, despite 92% of public and 75% of private hearing healthcare professionals reporting feeling comfortable conducting remote consultations. Conclusion This study highlights a variation in teleaudiology adoption and key barriers across sector and region in the UK. A collaborative approach between hearing device manufacturers, research centres HCPs and professional bodies is required for the creation of targeted guidance and training materials according to sector, to support clinicians in effective teleaudiology provision.