In the rising digital era, and especially since the pandemic, implementation of telehealth and provision of auditory rehabilitation (AR) using digital platforms have notably increased. This has changed the outlook of service provision by audiologists and speech-language pathologists alike. Digital platforms have the potential to positively impact AR practices by improving accessibility of rehabilitation services as well as by facilitating a more effective way to share resources with both professionals and end users. This SIG 7 activity includes two articles about the accessibility and effectiveness of digital platforms to provide AR services for both adults and children with hearing difficulties. The first article discusses the differences in the distribution strategy, users’ experience, and satisfaction for two digital platforms (a static website and an active blog) offering AR materials for professionals. Their study concludes that social media–focused active distribution is effective because it results in more total traffic, a greater number of users, more frequent access, and an overall high level of satisfaction with the quality of information and resources. The second article discusses the details of a Zoom-based telepractice initial evaluation protocol used by speech-language pathologists serving children who are hard of hearing and their families. This clinical protocol was designed to synchronously share resources and questionnaires with family members of children who are hard of hearing. Authors suggest that providing AR services through telepractice facilitates high-quality diagnostics and counseling to the same extent as that of in-person diagnostic sessions.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• utilize new digital channels and platforms in service provision to improve accessibility and distribution of auditory rehabilitation materials
• identify available assessment tools and auditory rehabilitation resources to utilize via telepractice.

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

Articles in This Course

1. The Rise of Social Media and Digital Content in Auditory Rehabilitation: Quantifying the Reach and Effectiveness of New Distribution Channels by Nicholas Kroll, Rebecca Claridge, and Natalie Teakle, published in SIG 7, Volume 7, Issue 1, February 2022
2. Telepractice Evaluations With Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing: A Clinical Approach for Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologists by Emily Noss and Autumn Sanderson, published in SIG 7, Volume 7, Issue 5, October 2022