AuDacity 2026 - Agenda

As evidence continues to emerge linking systemic health conditions with disorders of the auditory system, audiologists are increasingly well positioned to recognize the broader health implications of auditory dysfunction. This 6-hour clinical workshop explores the relationship between metabolic syndrome and related chronic diseases associated with cochlear and retrocochlear disorders. Participants will examine current evidence connecting auditory dysfunction with comorbidity conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. The session will combine didactic instruction with case-based panel discussions to highlight practical clinical applications. Attendees will learn strategies for effective case history intake, patient counseling, care management, referral coordination, and the integration of whole-person health considerations into audiologic practice.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the current evidence linking metabolic and systemic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cognitive decline, to auditory and vestibular dysfunction, and explain the physiological mechanisms underlying these connections.
2. Apply whole-person health considerations to clinical intake and case history practices, identifying red flags and risk factors that may signal undiagnosed or poorly managed metabolic conditions in patients presenting with hearing or balance complaints.
3. Develop patient counseling, management, and referral strategies that integrate audiologic care with broader health considerations, using case-based scenarios to practice interprofessional collaboration and appropriate referral facilitation.

Part one of this session offers an in-depth exploration of vestibular diagnostic testing with emphasis on clinical reasoning and interdisciplinary application. Participants will examine the full spectrum of objective vestibular assessments available in audiology practice, with attention to what each test measures and its role within a broader diagnostic battery. A central focus will be placed on differential diagnosis, integrating clinical and objective findings to distinguish among common vestibular disorders. Case-based discussions will highlight the audiologist's role within interdisciplinary teams alongside neurology, otolaryngology, and physical therapy, reinforcing how vestibular audiology contributes meaningfully to patient outcomes across the continuum of care.

Part two of this session will outline the core business concepts required to offer vestibular services in a sustainable and profitable manner while also delivering gold standard clinical care and outcomes.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify the objective vestibular tests available in audiology practice and describe the diagnostic role of each within a comprehensive test battery.
2. Integrate functional and objective vestibular findings to develop a differential diagnosis and distinguish among common vestibular disorders.
3. Recognize the audiologist's contribution to interdisciplinary vestibular care and discuss collaboration with neurology, otolaryngology, and physical therapy to optimize patient management.
4. Describe protocols and clinical applications of videonystagmography/electronystagmography (VNG/ENG), video head impulse testing (vHIT), and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP), and differentiate what each contributes to lesion localization within the test battery.
5. Differentiate the clinical presentation, oculomotor findings, and test battery patterns characteristic of BPPV, vestibular neuritis/labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease, and vestibular migraine.
6. Distinguish peripheral from central vestibular disorders using red-flag findings that warrant urgent neurologic referral.
7. Synthesize case history, bedside findings, and objective test battery results into a differential diagnosis and corresponding management/referral plan, incorporating vestibular rehabilitation and interdisciplinary consultation as indicated.
8. Describe the demand for audiologists to address dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance.
9. Identify the core financial and practice management pillars of a successful balance offering.
10. Analyze billing, coding, and reimbursement considerations relevant to vestibular and balance testing services.
11. Evaluate staffing, equipment, and workflow requirements for launching or scaling a vestibular/balance program within an audiology practice.
12. Develop a referral-generation and marketing strategy to build sustainable physician and interdisciplinary referral pipelines that support a profitable balance niche.

This course is designed for hearing healthcare professionals who are new to digital earmold manufacturing or looking to expand their in-house capabilities through a custom silicone digital workflow. Participants will gain an introduction to the complete process of creating custom silicone earmolds within their own practice — from scanning and digital modeling to 3D printing and post-processing.

Attendees will learn firsthand how digital workflows eliminate the need to send out physical impressions or scans, allowing practices to produce custom earmolds onsite with faster turnaround times and greater design independence. Participants will leave with foundational knowledge to begin implementing their own in-house silicone earmold workflow, helping reduce costs associated with shipping, remakes, and delayed patient delivery while increasing efficiency and customization capabilities.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the full process of printing 3D custom earmolds in-house utilizing the latest in digital technology in the audiology space.
2. Describe the ROI for your business/practice and the differentiating benefits you are able to offer.
3. Demonstrate the hands-on, step-by-step production of digital silicone earmolds including modeling, with guidance from industry leading experts along the way.

Many audiology leaders feel like they are repeating themselves constantly. The same expectations are explained again. The same issues come up in meetings. Leaders step in to fix problems that should already be owned by the team. These situations are often interpreted as motivation problems. In reality, they are usually accountability system problems.

This session introduces a practical accountability framework to help leaders create clarity, consistency, and shared responsibility within their teams. Participants will learn how accountability breaks down, how to reset expectations effectively, and how to build simple follow-up systems that support performance without micromanaging.

Through real-world examples and guided discussion, attendees will leave with practical tools including an accountability conversation framework, an expectation clarity checklist, and a simple follow-up system they can implement immediately within their practices.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify common leadership behaviors and communication patterns that weaken accountability within audiology teams.
2. Apply a novel Accountability Framework to create clearer expectations and stronger follow-through for their audiology team.
3. Implement simple follow-up systems that strengthen accountability and reduce the need to repeatedly intervene with their audiology team.

Things are changing, fast.

1. By 2030, one in 5 Americans will be over the age of 70 with 10,000 people turning 70 every day in the USA.
2. AI Search is changing the face of online search, with Google making the biggest change to their search bar in 25 years.
3. Consolidation in the industry is resulting in the big chains getting more aggressive about gobbling up marketshare.

And through it all, private practices are trying to effectively navigate these unique market factors while continuing to spin all the plates.

In this presentation, Oli Luke shares a deep-dive into the key market factors that are reshaping who our patients are, the way that they make decisions, and the competition who’s desperately trying to attract them, and break down an 8-step framework that you can use to become the logical choice in your marketplace, attract more private pay patients and be very difficult to compete with.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe how AI Search is changing the way patients find hearing care clinics.
2. List the specific steps to make sure your audiology practice shows up when it matters most.
3. List and describe patient attraction strategies that are working right now for independent clinics to win more private pay patients, without competing on price with the chains.
4. Describe a ready-to-use 8-step framework for becoming the logical, go-to choice for audiology care in your community, so that when a patient is ready, they're already sold on you before they ever pick up the phone.

The relationship between audiologists and industry partners extends well beyond hearing technology. In this candid panel discussion, representatives from Phonak, Starkey, Amplifon, GN, WSA, and Oticon will examine shared challenges and opportunities affecting industry, independent audiology practices, the broader audiology profession, and the patients and communities they serve.

Panelists will explore strategies for expanding consumer outreach, increasing awareness of hearing health, improving access to audiologic care, and addressing persistent workforce shortages, coverage, and affordability barriers. The conversation will also consider the evolving role of audiologists within interdisciplinary care teams, and opportunities for industry to support the profession without compromising clinical autonomy or practice independence. Particular attention will be given to what it takes to keep independent practices viable and independent in a rapidly changing healthcare, industry, and consumer marketplace.

Attendees will gain insight into areas where audiologists and their industry partners can align around common goals, as well as the boundaries and responsibilities necessary to build transparent, productive partnerships. The session will emphasize practical, forward-looking approaches that strengthen independent practices, elevate the role of audiologists, and make quality hearing healthcare more visible, accessible, and sustainable.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify key market, workforce, coverage, and accessibility challenges affecting independent audiology practices, industry partners, and the patients/consumers they collectively serve.
2. Describe opportunities for audiologists and industry partners to collaborate on consumer outreach, hearing-health awareness, and interdisciplinary care while preserving clinical autonomy and practice independence.
3. Evaluate strategies that can strengthen relationships across the audiology profession and the hearing industry to foster the long-term viability of independent audiology practices and expand access to high-quality hearing healthcare.

In this provocative keynote, healthcare innovator and consumer advocate Charlotte Yeh, MD, will challenge audiologists to rethink their role in the patient journey.

Consumer-driven healthcare requires audiologists to move beyond diagnosing and directing the patients in their care to a model that emphasizes collaboration and the co-creation of solutions to their problems.

Drawing on lessons from healthy aging frameworks, consumer technology innovations, patient surveys, and personal anecdotes, Dr. Yeh will explore strategies for building trust, reducing barriers to care, and generating meaningful connections that lead to better individual patient outcomes. An expert panel will also share practical insights that demonstrate how audiologists can effectively lead consumers toward healthier, more connected lives.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe how consumer-driven healthcare trends and evidence linking untreated hearing loss to social isolation and cognitive decline are reshaping expectations for the audiologist's role in patient care.
2. Identify strategies for shifting from a diagnose-and-direct model to a collaborative, co-creation approach that builds trust, reduces barriers to care, and fosters meaningful patient connections.
3. Describe practical approaches, informed by healthy aging frameworks, consumer technology, and interprofessional perspectives, for leading patients toward more connected, better-supported hearing health outcomes.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the steps required to open an audiology private practice.
2. List the key pieces of equipment required to open an audiology private practice.
3. Describe the options available for clinic financing.

Independent practice owners across healthcare face many of the same challenges: attracting the right patients, increasing care acceptance, retaining patients, generating positive reviews and referrals, and managing rising costs while delivering quality care. This year the cross-disciplinary panel returns to bring together leaders in dentistry, chiropractic, and veterinary medicine to share lessons from building and growing successful practices, including their transformational “a-ha” moment, and strategies that created a foundation for long-term success.

Panelists will explore how they use social media, specialization, community-building, financial solutions, and emerging technologies – such as AI - to strengthen the patient experience. By looking beyond audiology, participants will gain fresh perspectives, practical ideas, and potential solutions that can be adapted to strengthen independent practices, elevate the audiologist’s role, and advance hearing and balance care.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Compare patient acquisition, retention, referral, and community-building strategies used by independent practice owners in dentistry, chiropractic, and veterinary medicine and identify approaches that can be adapted to audiology.
2. Evaluate practical approaches to care acceptance and financial access, including patient financing, that can help patients obtain recommended care while supporting sustainable practice performance amid rising costs.
3. Identify current and emerging applications of AI and other practice innovations that can improve patient engagement, operational efficiency, and long-term practice growth.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the steps required to open an audiology private practice.
2. List the key pieces of equipment required to open an audiology private practice.
3. Describe the options available for clinic financing.

As cochlear implant candidacy expands and technology continues to evolve, audiologists must navigate a rapidly changing landscape of patient identification, referral, treatment, and follow-up care. Join neurotologist Elizabeth Perkins, MD, for an exploration of contemporary cochlear implant care, including current referral criteria, emerging trends in candidacy, and opportunities to optimize patient outcomes across the continuum of care. Following the presentation, Dr. Perkins will join representatives from Advanced Bionics, Cochlear, and MED-EL for a dynamic panel discussion focused on the critical role that audiologists play in every patient’s journey.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify current referral criteria and emerging trends in cochlear implant candidacy, including how expanding indications are changing patient identification practices.
2. Describe strategies for optimizing patient outcomes across the cochlear implant continuum of care, from initial referral through treatment and long-term follow-up.
3. Discuss the audiologist's role in collaborating with physicians and device manufacturers to support patients at each stage of the cochlear implant journey.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the steps required to open an audiology private practice.
2. List the key pieces of equipment required to open an audiology private practice.
3. Describe the options available for clinic financing.

Opportunities for collaboration between lifestyle medicine professionals and audiologists abound! During this featured session, Lori Carnsew, MD, will explore the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and their relationship to auditory and vestibular health, highlighting emerging evidence linking lifestyle factors to hearing and balance conditions. An expert panel will discuss integrating lifestyle medicine principles into an audiology practice, and present suggestions for how audiologists can support interdisciplinary care teams, including approaches for educating lifestyle medicine professionals about the importance of hearing screening as part of comprehensive health assessment.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the six Lifestyle Medicine pillars and how they relate and are associated with auditory and vestibular conditions.
2. List strategies for how they can support lifestyle medicine principles and interdisciplinary care teams in practice.
3. Describe actions that they can take to educate lifestyle medicine professionals on the importance for screening for hearing loss.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the steps required to open an audiology private practice.
2. List the key pieces of equipment required to open an audiology private practice.
3. Describe the options available for clinic financing.

Cisplatin remains an essential and highly effective treatment for many cancers, but its ototoxic effects can significantly affect hearing, communication, quality of life, and long-term survivorship. Early identification and coordinated management require close collaboration among oncology professionals and audiologists. This interdisciplinary panel will bring together an audiologist, pharmacist , and an oncology nurse to examine opportunities for integrating hearing care into the cancer treatment continuum. Panelists will provide an overview of cisplatin-related ototoxicity, including risk factors, clinical presentation, pharmacological intervention, and the importance of monitoring before, during, and after treatment. The course will introduce a collaborative audiology-oncology care model and an innovative screening protocol incorporating high-frequency audiometry, with clear pathways for referral when patients do not pass the screening. Through discussion of practical implementation considerations, professional roles, communication strategies, and barriers to coordinated care, attendees will gain a better understanding of how interdisciplinary collaboration can support earlier detection, timely intervention, informed treatment decisions, and improved outcomes for patients receiving ototoxic cancer therapies.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify the risk factors, clinical signs, and potential effects of cisplatin-related ototoxicity on hearing, communication, and quality of life.
2. Describe a pharmacological intervention to reduce the risk of cisplatin-induced hearing loss.
3. Describe the respective roles of audiologists, oncologists, pharmacists, and oncology nurses within a collaborative ototoxicity monitoring and care model.
4. Apply an ototoxicity monitoring protocol that incorporates high-frequency audiometry and appropriate referral pathways for patients who do not pass a hearing screening.

In this one-hour presentation & panel discussion, an overview of the 2026 Benchmarking Survey conducted by Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC), will be presented. This is the 16th year that this hearing healthcare industry survey has been fielded. Results of the survey will provide participants with an understanding of industry trends, key performance metrics and the factors/practices that can impact KPIs in a hearing healthcare clinic. The benchmarking results provide evidence-based practices to which attendees can compare the performance of their clinic to top performing clinics in the industry.

The goal of this course is to provide hearing healthcare professionals, practice owners & administrators with the results of the 2026 Benchmarking survey to which they can compare their own performance. Attendees will review key performance indicators and learn from their peers about the impact that day-to-day processes and procedures can have on a clinic’s profitability and metrics.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Explain the impact of best-in-class practices on key performance metrics for hearing care clinics.
2. Discuss hearing industry trends and key performance metrics.
3. Identify factors that in the day-to-day operation of a hearing healthcare clinic, have an impact on profitability and key performance metrics.
4. Review the impact of marketing planning & budgeting on audiology clinic KPIs.

Private practice audiology requires strong clinical leadership, but long-term success also depends on the ability to understand and manage the financial health of the business. Many practice owners receive financial statements from accountants each month but lack clarity on how to interpret them or connect them to the daily operational decisions occurring in the clinic. This session will bridge the gap between traditional financial reporting and day-to-day operational performance. Attendees will learn how to interpret the core financial statements used in healthcare businesses (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement) and understand how these reports relate to the operational metrics that drive practice performance.

The first portion of the session will focus on how financial statements function, why they exist, and how practice owners can use them to evaluate profitability, expense structure, growth, and long-term practice value. Common financial benchmarks and warning signs will be discussed, along with how financial performance ultimately influences practice valuation and sustainability.

The second portion will focus on the clinical and operational KPIs that drive those financial outcomes, including patient flow, conversion metrics, appointment utilization, technology mix, and lifecycle management. Through real-world examples, the presenters will illustrate how operational metrics can reveal underlying issues long before they appear in financial reports.

By connecting financial statements with operational KPIs, attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how to monitor the health of their practices and make better strategic decisions—from staffing and scheduling to pricing, marketing, and growth planning.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Interpret the core financial statements used in healthcare practices and understand how they reflect practice performance.
2. Identify key operational KPIs that influence revenue, efficiency, and profitability.
3. Recognize common financial benchmarks and warning signs within audiology practice financials.
4. Use operational metrics to inform daily management decisions and long-term business strategy.

Auracast, used as part of an assistive listening system, is on track to become a reality. This could put you, your patients, and hearing accessibility in the spotlight in your community. What is the role of audiologists in improving hearing access in communities? Is it time to start advocating for Auracast installations? How might one advocate for Auracast while still supporting existing assistive listening systems, such as hearing loops and FM systems in use in the area? This session will address key considerations for successful Auracast ALS deployment, educate patients on the importance of assistive listening, and integrate advocacy for Auracast installations in a busy practice. Practical handouts will be shared.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe 2 ways to promote the use of existing assistive listening systems and two ways to foster new Auracast installations.
2. Explain how Auracast ALS can work for users of Auracast-enabled and Auracast-incompatible hearing instruments, as well as non-hearing-aid users.
3. Describe one in-office and one out-of-office validation measure of the built-in ADA-Access-Ready hearing instrument features that provide hearing access to all assistive listening systems.

Explores the clinical and research-based value of assessing hearing beyond the conventional 8,000 Hz range. This presentation reviews key literature supporting extended high-frequency (EHF) testing as an early indicator of auditory dysfunction, highlights compellling real-life cases demonstrating its diagnostic impact, and examines current barriers preventing widespread adoption in clinical practice. Attendees will gain insight into how EHF pure tone testing can be a powerful and differentiating diagnostic tool for their patients.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the current evidence base supporting extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry as an early indicator of cochlear dysfunction associated with noise exposure and other causes of hearing loss.
2. Analyze extended high-frequency audiometric findings from case examples to determine their clinical significance and implications for patient counseling and management.
3. Develop an implementation plan for incorporating extended high-frequency testing into routine clinical practice, addressing barriers such as equipment limitations, time constraints, reimbursement considerations, and normative data challenges.

Tinnitus isn't just an auditory phenomenon. It's a multisystem experience involving the auditory system, cognitive interpretations, and the autonomic nervous system's state of arousal. When tinnitus becomes intrusive, all three systems are involved. Active Sound Therapy is a novel approach that integrates three evidence-based interventions (customized sound therapy, cognitive behavioral reframing, and bottom-up breathwork) with specific timing to address all three systems in a coordinated effort.

Grounded in Polyvagal Theory, AST proposes that controlled breathwork can shift autonomic state from defensive to safe while tinnitus is present, enabling the nervous system to reclassify tinnitus from threat to neutral stimulus. This presentation introduces the theoretical framework, protocol components, and preliminary clinical outcomes.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the current landscape of tinnitus treatment, including bimodal interventions and how they differ from one another.
2. Discuss the three evidence-based primary components integrated into Active Sound Therapy: cognitive reframing, sound therapy, and breathwork.
3. Implement two types of breathwork with patients on Monday morning when they return to the office and will be able to explain why it's important to integrate nervous system regulation into treatment plans for tinnitus.

Most hiring mistakes aren’t caused by poor intent or weak résumés—they stem from interviews that fail to reveal how candidates actually think. Traditional interviews tend to reward preparation, confidence, and familiarity, while overlooking adaptability, judgment, and problem-solving—the very traits administrators need in environments defined by constant change and limited energy.

This hands-on workshop reframes the interview as a way to gain an inside view of the candidate. Participants will learn how well-designed questions allow leaders to “test drive” candidates before hiring—exploring how they reason through ambiguity, respond to real-world scenarios, and align with the practice’s values and expectations. The focus is not on getting the right answers, but on uncovering the candidate’s thought process. By shifting from résumé validation to thinking assessment, administrators can reduce costly mismatches and hire people who can grow with the organization.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Design interview questions, for candidates in an audiology practice, that reveal adaptability, judgment, and learning agility rather than rehearsed experience.
2. Evaluate candidates based on how they think through real-world scenarios, not just what they’ve done before.
3. Structure interviews to better predict performance, cultural alignment, and long-term fit for success in an audiology clinic.

Most audiology practices track a small set of traditional metrics such as revenue, units sold, or new patient counts. While these indicators provide useful snapshots of performance, they often fail to explain why results are changing or what actions will improve them. This session will explore how modern data analysis and benchmarking can help practice owners move beyond basic reporting and develop a deeper understanding of the operational drivers that influence performance. Drawing from insights observed across large datasets of audiology practices, this presentation will examine how operational variables, including appointment mix, patient lifecycle management, managed care exposure, and scheduling architecture, affect both clinical outcomes and business sustainability.

Attendees will learn the difference between descriptive analytics (what happened) and predictive analytics (what is likely to happen) and how practices can use real-time feedback loops to influence staff behavior, operational decision-making, and long-term strategy.

The session will also feature a panel discussion with private practice owners who will share real-world examples of how analyzing their practice data helped them uncover operational inefficiencies, identify growth opportunities, and make better management decisions.

By the end of the session, attendees will gain practical strategies for using benchmarking and data analysis to transform raw metrics into actionable insights that improve both patient care and practice performance.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the differences between descriptive and predictive analytics in healthcare practice management.
2. Identify operational variables that most strongly influence practice performance.
3. Interpret benchmarking data appropriately and avoid common analytical pitfalls.
4. Apply data-driven insights to improve scheduling, patient lifecycle management, and strategic planning.

Firearm discharge produces hazardous impulse noise capable of causing immediate and permanent auditory damage. Although traditional hearing protection remains essential, firearm suppressors can provide an additional layer of protection by reducing peak sound levels at the source.

This course will examine clinical data regarding firearm-related noise exposure and its potential effects on hearing, including the variables that influence auditory risk. Faculty will review evidence on the effectiveness and limitations of firearm suppressors and discuss their use in conjunction with properly fitted earplugs, earmuffs, and other protective measures.

The course will also prepare audiologists to counsel patients who use firearms for occupational, recreational, hunting, or personal-protection purposes. Participants will explore practical, evidence-informed approaches to risk reduction, including how to communicate clearly that sound suppression should supplement, not replace, conventional hearing protection. The session will conclude with an overview of advocacy initiatives related to the regulation and accessibility of firearm suppressors across the United States and the role audiologists can play in advancing public policies that support hearing-loss prevention.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Explain the auditory risks associated with firearm impulse noise and identify factors that influence the potential for hearing damage.
2. Evaluate clinical evidence regarding the benefits and limitations of firearm suppressors when used alone and in conjunction with other forms of hearing protection.
3. Develop evidence-informed counseling recommendations for patients who use firearms.
4. Describe current advocacy initiatives related to firearm-suppressor accessibility and hearing-loss prevention.

Audiologic care often moves from an incomplete diagnostic assessment directly to device selection as the primary intervention. While pure-tone thresholds remain foundational, functional measures such as speech-in-noise performance and structured real-world needs assessment are inconsistently integrated into treatment planning. This creates a structural gap between diagnosis and prescribed technology. The Minimum Clinical Need (MCN) model proposes a diagnostic-driven framework that links measured functional deficits to specific treatment features. This panel examines the diagnostic-to-treatment gap, outlines the conceptual foundation of MCN, and discusses practical strategies for integrating structured prescription logic into routine clinical workflows. Attendees will gain a clearer framework for strengthening diagnostic alignment and improving treatment decisions in modern hearing care.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Evaluate how diagnostic assessment structures shape the alignment between measured deficits, treatment planning, and real-world communication performance.
2. Describe the conceptual foundation and core components of the Minimum Clinical Need (MCN) framework for linking diagnostic findings to treatment planning.
3. Apply principles of structured diagnostic-to-treatment alignment to enhance real-world communication outcomes in clinical practice.

“There’s nothing we can do; you just have to get used to it.” This is often the messaging for patients who are struggling with tinnitus and/or sound sensitivity, but there are effective, evidence-based options for managing these conditions. Through illustrative case studies, we will discuss how behavioral counseling and audiology collaborate on tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia management to help clients accomplish their goals.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe options for evidence-based audiology interventions for tinnitus and sound sensitivity management.
2. Identify therapy modalities that are used for tinnitus and sound sensitivity management.
3. Describe how success is determined in tinnitus and sound sensitivity management.

Revenue-cycle management can feel overwhelming at times. This course will equip participants with best practices in coding and credentialing to ensure streamlined processes are in place to reduce time spent on these tasks.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Assess documentation needed for credentialing within their audiology practice.
2. Describe common audiology coding errors.
3. Describe billing and coding trends in Medicare part B for the future.

We cannot control disasters, which is the frightening part of the discussion. But we can take control to create processes, policies, procedures, safeguards to keep people safe and save our businesses. With good preparation, recovery is easier, less expensive and far less daunting. Are you prepared? This presentation will share what we learned from a fire in October 2023 to legal process for the business continuity claim.

Attendees will be able to:

1. List what documentation is needed and helpful for inventorying contents of an audiology practice.
2. List and describe tools for protecting contents and data in an audiology practice.
3. Describe how to find the helpers in your community and recover from a disaster impacting your audiology practice.

Patient-centered communication strategies that build trust and inspire action.

Join us and learn how to transform everyday patient conversations into opportunities for deeper understanding and better outcomes. In this interactive session, you'll explore practical communication and storytelling techniques that help patients recognize their hearing needs, build confidence in their decisions, and strengthen lasting relationships. Leave with actionable strategies you can use immediately to enhance every consultation. Stop presenting. Start guiding.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Apply patient-centered communication techniques to build trust, uncover patient motivations, and guide meaningful conversations about hearing health.
2. Incorporate storytelling and consultative communication strategies to help patients better understand their hearing needs, increase confidence in their decisions, and take appropriate action.
3. Describe practical conversation skills that strengthen patient relationships, enhance the consultation experience, and support improved patient loyalty, referrals, and professional differentiation.

Audiologists spend their careers helping others improve health, communication, and quality of life. Yet, audiologists, like other healthcare providers, often neglect their own physical, emotional, and mental health while caring for others. This engaging and practical session will revisit the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections, and explore how these evidence-based principles can help audiologists prioritize and maintain their own health and quality of life.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine and their relevance to personal health and professional well-being.
2. List common barriers that prevent healthcare professionals from practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors.
3. Describe practical strategies for incorporating Lifestyle Medicine principles into daily routines to enhance resilience, wellness, and professional longevity.

The ACHIEVE study is best known for testing whether treating hearing loss can slow cognitive decline in older adults. But cognition is only one piece of the picture. In this session, Jennifer Deal, PhD, a lead investigator on the ACHIEVE trial from Johns Hopkins University, will present findings from the study's growing body of secondary analyses examining outcomes beyond cognition. These include reductions in falls, effects on physical function and activity, decreases in social isolation and loneliness, improvements in depression symptoms and fatigue, and gains in health-related quality of life and communicative function. Dr. Deal will walk through what the data show, where the evidence is strongest, and where questions remain, offering audiologists a fuller understanding of how hearing intervention may ripple across multiple domains of healthy aging. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of the whole-person impact of hearing care and practical talking points for communicating that impact to patients, caregivers, and referring providers.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Summarize key ACHIEVE trial findings on outcomes beyond cognition, including effects on falls, physical function, social isolation, loneliness, depression, fatigue, and quality of life.
2. Interpret the strength and limitations of the evidence linking hearing intervention to these broader health outcomes, including where findings were robust versus where the intervention showed limited effect.
3. Apply ACHIEVE study findings when counseling patients and caregivers, framing hearing treatment as a contributor to healthy aging beyond its impact on hearing and cognition alone.

An established hearing aid practice within an ENT organization embarked on a massive pricing structure change in 2023. In a case-study format, attendees will learn how this established practice modernized its pricing strategy, managed through change, and analyzed the success of the initiative through meaningful KPIs. Attendees will gain insight into how they can customize their own pricing structure updates in alignment with their organization's vision.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Differentiate between bundled, unbundled, and hybrid hearing aid pricing structures.
2. Determine variables essential to their value proposition as they consider pricing strategy.
3. Describe steps that can be taking to prepare and manage teams through change related to pricing structure strategy.

The evolution of auditory-cognitive training is anchored in four developments. First, our conceptual understanding has shifted from viewing hearing loss as a peripheral deficit to recognizing the complexities of "cognitive listening." Second, advancements in neuroimaging and electrophysiologic research have confirmed that auditory training induces measurable neuroplasticity, capable of reversing maladaptive cross-modal reorganization associated with hearing loss. Third, the evidence base has matured significantly. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses, all published within the past 10 years have synthesized decades of research, consistently demonstrating statistically significant improvements in trained listening tasks and speech-in-noise perception. Finally, the emergence of digital therapeutics (DTx) has removed historic barriers to adoption. Through smartphone-based, gamified, and adaptive algorithms, auditory training is now scalable, personalized, and seamlessly integrated into modern clinical workflows. This presentation traces the transition of auditory training from an experimental concept to a clinical standard that is a cornerstone of treating both the ears and the brain. By leveraging these scientific and technological innovations, audiologists can move beyond amplification, offering patients a comprehensive, brain-focused approach to improving communication difficulties and preserving long-term cognitive health -- and generate revenue for their practice.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Define auditory-cognitive training and how it fits into holistic care.
2. Describe the Data-Resource-Language framework and how it applies to holistic intervention strategies.
3. Describe the role of neuroplasticity in auditory-cognitive training outcomes.

Academic audiology education is at a crossroads. The profession must prepare graduates to practice confidently as Doctors of Audiology and keep pace with advances in clinical care, technology, and scope of practice, while confronting rising tuition, faculty shortages, and inconsistent enrollment, impacting students and programs. At the same time, there are ongoing debates about the length, return on investment, and overall sustainability of the Au.D. degree, and whether trends in moving from four-year to three-year training models will serve to advance or constrain the profession.

This 90-minute session will bring together leading academicians from across the country to examine whether current educational models are meeting the needs of students, the profession, and the public. Panelists will explore opportunities to strengthen doctoral preparedness, align curricula and clinical experiences with evolving practice expectations, and attract a broader pool of talented, academically prepared students with the potential to become exceptional clinicians and leaders.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the major workforce, financial, faculty, and institutional challenges affecting the future of audiology education.
2. Describe educational and clinical training models that support doctoral preparedness, evolving scopes of practice, technological innovation, and potential three-year Au.D. pathways.
3. Identify strategies to attract and prepare a broader pool of talented, academically prepared students while strengthening the accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of audiology education.

Hearing conservation should be a foundational standard in patient care. This session explores why integrating conservation into every patient interaction is essential to preserving lifelong auditory health. Bridging research with clinical practice, it examines occupational and recreational noise exposure, gaps in patient education, and missed opportunities in routine audiologic care. Participants will gain strategies to deliver efficient, impactful counseling, personalize prevention approaches, and integrate practical tools into existing workflows. Designed for practicing audiologists, this session advances a shift toward prevention-focused care—empowering patients, influencing behavior, and elevating clinical outcomes through consistent, proactive hearing health advocacy.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Integrate brief, evidence-based hearing conservation counseling into routine audiologic appointments.
2. Implement practical tools and workflows that embed hearing conservation into clinical practice without increasing appointment burden.
3. Provide recommendations for appropriate hearing protection devices based on individual patient needs and lifestyles, along with resources that ensure proper use.

Modern health care requires professionals to make decisions collectively rather than in isolation. Interprofessional collaboration is not only a quality-improvement strategy but also an ethical imperative grounded in patient welfare, autonomy, dignity, and professional integrity. Communication failures, particularly during transitions and handoffs, contribute to adverse events, while evidence suggests interprofessional learning can reduce mortality and adverse outcomes. Ethical collaboration requires patient-centered care, practicing within one’s expertise, recognizing limitations, communicating effectively, and sharing accountability. This presentation examines how professional identity, power differences, communication, and organizational culture influence ethical teamwork and patient safety.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Explain why interprofessional collaboration is an ethical obligation and essential to patient safety.
2. Identify and analyze how communication failures, hierarchy, role ambiguity, competing obligations, confidentiality, resource allocation, and disagreements about patient goals can create ethical and patient-safety risks.
3. Develop practical strategies to strengthen psychological safety, mutual respect, effective communication, and shared accountability within clinical teams.

Join your colleagues for an interactive, hackathon-style strategic planning session focused on operationalizing the Audiology 2050 framework and implementing its bold vision for the future of the profession. This collaborative evening will bring together audiologists, students, educators, researchers, practice owners, and industry leaders to crowdsource ideas, challenge assumptions, and develop innovative solutions.

Through facilitated brainstorming, rapid ideation, and team/table-based exercises, attendees will work together to identify priorities, generate actionable recommendations, and develop transformative tactics to guide ADA and the profession over the next quarter century. Participants will tackle critical issues surrounding access to care, workforce development, education, advocacy, professional autonomy, and the evolving needs of patients and interdisciplinary teams.

The concepts and solutions developed during this session will be shared with attendees and the broader audiology community to help advance the Audiology 2050 initiative and inform future priorities for the profession. Enjoy dinner, connect with fellow visionaries, compete for prizes, and help answer one of the most important question facing audiology: What must we do now and next to make Audiology 2050 a reality?

This session is open to all AuDacity attendees: ADA membership is NOT required.

Private practice ownership in audiology offers independence and opportunity, but it also carries a host of legal and compliance responsibilities. From employment law and patient privacy to contracts, billing practices, and risk management, today’s practice owners must navigate a complex legal landscape while focusing on patient care and business growth. This session will explore the most pressing legal issues that practice owners face. Through practical examples, attendees will gain a clear understanding of their legal obligations, common pitfalls to avoid, and proactive strategies to protect their practices. Whether you are a new practice owner or a seasoned professional, this course will provide tools and insights to strengthen compliance, mitigate risk, and support long-term success.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify and interpret key legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements impacting audiology practices.
2. Recognize common legal pitfalls in contracts, employment arrangements, and business operations, and apply strategies to mitigate associated risks.
3. Develop proactive compliance practices and risk management policies to safeguard their practice against legal disputes, audits, and regulatory enforcement.

Audiologic evaluation often reveals clinical findings that warrant diagnostic investigation beyond the audiogram. As state scope-of-practice laws evolve, audiologists may have greater authority to order imaging, laboratory testing, and cultures as part of a comprehensive evaluation of patients with hearing and balance disorders. Using Maryland’s 2024 law as a working model, this course will examine the current scope-of-practice landscape and the clinical responsibilities associated with this expanded authority.

Participants will explore the audiometric and clinical findings that may warrant additional diagnostic testing, including appropriate imaging modalities and protocols for common otologic and vestibular presentations. The course will also review relevant laboratory studies for sudden sensorineural hearing loss, autoimmune inner ear disease, and vestibular disorders, as well as indications and proper techniques for obtaining diagnostic cultures. Special attention will be given to recognizing red flags for malignant otitis externa and other conditions requiring urgent medical referral. Practical guidance will be provided for establishing relationships with imaging centers and laboratories and developing effective processes for documentation, results management, patient follow-up, and referral.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the current scope of practice landscape for audiologist-ordered imaging, bloodwork, and cultures, using Maryland's 2024 law as a working model.
2. Identify the audiometric and clinical findings that warrant a referral for imaging, lab work, or cultures in patients with hearing or balance complaints.
3. Differentiate appropriate imaging modalities and protocols (MRI vs. CT) for common otologic and vestibular presentations.
4. List the relevant laboratory tests for diagnostic workup of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, autoimmune inner ear disease, and vestibular disorders.
5. Describe indications and proper technique for obtaining diagnostic cultures in otologic disease, including recognizing red flags for malignant otitis externa.
6. Outline the practical steps for establishing ordering relationships with imaging centers and laboratories, including documentation, follow-up, and referral pathways.

Reimbursement is when the health care provider is paid for their time and expertise by the patient or the health plan. In this workshop, we will discuss mechanisms to maximize reimbursement in an audiology practice. This will include modernization of care delivery, managed care participation, coverages, and non-participation and pricing considerations.

Attendees will be able to:

1. List the steps in determining who can perform each procedure in an audiology practice.
2. Document the scope of practice, documentation and clinical requirements of evaluation and management code use in an audiology practice.
3. Document the requirements to the value of providing and billing for auditory rehabilitation. (4) List the pros and cons of participation in managed care plans. (5) Outline different care delivery and pricing models.

Private practice ownership in audiology offers independence and opportunity, but it also carries a host of legal and compliance responsibilities. From employment law and patient privacy to contracts, billing practices, and risk management, today’s practice owners must navigate a complex legal landscape while focusing on patient care and business growth. This session will explore the most pressing legal issues that practice owners face. Through practical examples, attendees will gain a clear understanding of their legal obligations, common pitfalls to avoid, and proactive strategies to protect their practices. Whether you are a new practice owner or a seasoned professional, this course will provide tools and insights to strengthen compliance, mitigate risk, and support long-term success.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Identify and interpret key legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements impacting audiology practices.
2. Recognize common legal pitfalls in contracts, employment arrangements, and business operations, and apply strategies to mitigate associated risks.
3. Develop proactive compliance practices and risk management policies to safeguard their practice against legal disputes, audits, and regulatory enforcement.

Audiologic evaluation often reveals clinical findings that warrant diagnostic investigation beyond the audiogram. As state scope-of-practice laws evolve, audiologists may have greater authority to order imaging, laboratory testing, and cultures as part of a comprehensive evaluation of patients with hearing and balance disorders. Using Maryland’s 2024 law as a working model, this course will examine the current scope-of-practice landscape and the clinical responsibilities associated with this expanded authority.

Participants will explore the audiometric and clinical findings that may warrant additional diagnostic testing, including appropriate imaging modalities and protocols for common otologic and vestibular presentations. The course will also review relevant laboratory studies for sudden sensorineural hearing loss, autoimmune inner ear disease, and vestibular disorders, as well as indications and proper techniques for obtaining diagnostic cultures. Special attention will be given to recognizing red flags for malignant otitis externa and other conditions requiring urgent medical referral. Practical guidance will be provided for establishing relationships with imaging centers and laboratories and developing effective processes for documentation, results management, patient follow-up, and referral.

Attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the current scope of practice landscape for audiologist-ordered imaging, bloodwork, and cultures, using Maryland's 2024 law as a working model.
2. Identify the audiometric and clinical findings that warrant a referral for imaging, lab work, or cultures in patients with hearing or balance complaints.
3. Differentiate appropriate imaging modalities and protocols (MRI vs. CT) for common otologic and vestibular presentations.
4. List the relevant laboratory tests for diagnostic workup of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, autoimmune inner ear disease, and vestibular disorders.
5. Describe indications and proper technique for obtaining diagnostic cultures in otologic disease, including recognizing red flags for malignant otitis externa.
6. Outline the practical steps for establishing ordering relationships with imaging centers and laboratories, including documentation, follow-up, and referral pathways.

Reimbursement is when the health care provider is paid for their time and expertise by the patient or the health plan. In this workshop, we will discuss mechanisms to maximize reimbursement in an audiology practice. This will include modernization of care delivery, managed care participation, coverages, and non-participation and pricing considerations.

Attendees will be able to:

1. List the steps in determining who can perform each procedure in an audiology practice.
2. Document the scope of practice, documentation and clinical requirements of evaluation and management code use in an audiology practice.
3. Document the requirements to the value of providing and billing for auditory rehabilitation. (4) List the pros and cons of participation in managed care plans. (5) Outline different care delivery and pricing models.