Prevention of Medical Errors in Audiology
Tracking # 20-1346122
Categories by profession
Program Objectives:
- Define Medical Errors: Define medical errors, adverse events, near misses, and sentinel events as they apply to audiology and describe their impact on patient outcomes, trust, cost, and clinician well-being.
- Differentiate Hearing Loss and Identify Red Flags: Differentiate major types, configurations, and time courses of hearing loss and identify key red flags (such as sudden loss, asymmetry, unilateral tinnitus, and neurologic signs) that require routine, expedited, or urgent medical referral.
- Explain the Safety Role of Otoscopy and Tympanometry: Explain the safety role of otoscopy and tympanometry and identify otoscopic and tympanometric findings that require modified testing or medical evaluation to prevent misdiagnosis.
- Distinguish Tinnitus Presentations: Distinguish tinnitus presentations that can be managed with routine follow-up from those that signal possible otologic, neurologic, or vascular disease and formulate appropriate referral recommendations and documentation.
- Identify Hearing-Device Errors: Identify common sources of error in hearing-device selection, programming, verification, and follow-up—including EMI considerations and pediatric-specific issues—and outline strategies to prevent or mitigate these risks.
- Describe Vestibular and Balance Assessment Risks: Describe safety risks associated with vestibular and balance assessment and apply basic fall-risk screening, room setup, spotting practices, and referral thresholds to minimize the risk of harm.
- Apply Infection-Control and Procedure-Safety Practices: Apply evidence-based infection-control and procedure-safety practices for ear tips, probes, headphones, inserts, and shared clinical surfaces, including correct use of single-use and reusable items.
- Demonstrate Documentation, Communication, and Reporting Practices: Demonstrate best practices for clinical documentation, communication, and incident reporting in audiology that support patient safety, ethical practice, and reduction of legal risk.
Course Overview:
This 2-hour online/home-study course reviews how medical errors occur in audiology and how to prevent them across diagnostic, hearing-aid, and vestibular services. Audiology-specific topics include red-flag symptoms and referral decisions, safe use of otoscopy and tympanometry, tinnitus triage, hearing-device verification and EMI considerations, infection control, communication and handoffs, and essential documentation and incident reporting practices. Case examples are used to connect safety principles to everyday clinical decision-making.
$8.00
2 Hours