Senior Specialist Paediatric Audiological Scientist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

To receive and obtain complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious diagnostic and therapeutic information from multi-disciplinary professionals, patients family members and carers, some of whom may be hearing impaired, relating to individual cases requiring highly specialist and complex Audiological intervention.

Responsibility for assessing, reviewing, and assimilating complex Audiological, relevant medical, patient choice and other information, some of which may be new, unexpected, conflicting, or reflecting differing expert opinion when formulating optimal patient management plans taking into account current evidence based information and the latest relevant research information.

Freedom to devise patient diagnostic and management programmes based on own interpretation of results, current evidence based medicine and best practice guidelines, with input from fellow multi-disciplinary professionals as required, where some information may be contentious or conflicting.

High level of specialist knowledge and experience enabling post-holder to perform, unsupervised, a full range of behavioural and electrophysiological diagnostic Audiological assessment procedures in an adult population, enabling them to analyse results and make diagnoses with confidence. Specialist knowledge of the implications for patient management is expected, underpinned by theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

Ability to perform such specialist tests in clinic environments and also in theatre if necessary. The post holder will have a level of experience which will enable them to put their specialised knowledge into use in pressurised environments.

Professional / Clinical responsibilities

Specialist knowledge of diagnostic Audiological and Vestibular assessment, including routine and non-routine audiometric and ERA procedures, promontory and round window stimulation testing, and specialised intra-operative monitoring and testing of Auditory Implant patients and the implication of test results for patient diagnosis and management.

Highly developed specialist knowledge of complex auditory implant intervention, including assessment of hearing status and auditory function, candidacy for auditory implantation, likely benefit, diagnosis and implementation of the most appropriate electrical-neural stimulation patterns in the management of Paediatric Cochlear Implant patients, and setting BCHI/MEIs to optimise patient benefit.

Specialist knowledge and expertise of hearing aid technology, including assessment of hearing status and auditory function, candidacy for hearing aids, likely benefit, hearing aid fitting, programming, verification and orientation using subjective and objective measures including real ear measurements, free-field testing, age-appropriate speech-perception testing and patient reported outcome measure questionnaires.

To provide a comprehensive hearing aid service to children under assessment within the hearing implant programme, to include taking aural impressions, programming and fitting hearing aids using NOAH-Auditbase and Audiology software applications.

To formulate and implement appropriate auditory management plans based on multi-disciplinary assessment and diagnostic information, including counselling, hearing aids, auditory implants, assistive listening devices, taking into account audiological status, communication skills and social needs

Responsibility for re-assessing and reviewing patient management plans as necessary, for example if new, unexpected, conflicting, or differing expert opinion comes to light.

Fitting and programming of Hearing Implants and hearing aids - defining, optimising and maintaining programmable device parameters to maximise treatment benefit, providing instruction for the operation, fitting, cleaning and maintenance of CIs, MEIs and BCIs; providing equipment upgrades and repairs as necessary.

To initiate, where necessary, onward referral to the multi-disciplinary team for medical intervention, counselling, communication training, lip-reading and auditory training.

Communicate assessment and management plans to relevant multi-disciplinary team members, GP's, referring specialists and appropriate local care providers, based on complex multi-disciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic information, providing written Audiological reports, and multi-disciplinary team summaries.

Using highly developed communication skills to communicate complex, sensitive, and potentially emotive information relating to degree of hearing loss, level of associated handicap, and expectations from hearing aid and auditory implant intervention to hearing impaired adults and their families in an empathetic and supportive manner taking into account barriers to communication posed by the degree of hearing loss.

Assessment and measurement of treatment benefit for auditory implants, using all appropriate objective and subjective measures.

Responsible for requesting imaging investigations pre implantation as appropriate.

Responsible where necessary, for arranging and conducting annual review appointments off site to accommodate patients’ travelling long distances to clinic.

Documenting all diagnostic testing, management, and recommendations according to departmental and Trust standards and protocols.

Highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and sensory skills for adjusting and using ear-moulds, hearing devices, auditory implant speech-processors and associated equipment.

Competent use of key-board and relevant specialised software for programming patient hearing aids, speech processors, and verification of parameters.

Competent use of relevant specialised software for storing patient details, test results, and departmental reports.

Financial responsibilities

Responsible for the safe use of expensive and highly complex Audiological equipment.

Awareness of general budgetary constraints.

Participation in general departmental upkeep, including liaison with the work’s department where necessary and monitoring of room facilities.

Education & Professional Development.

To attend courses, relevant meetings, conferences and Specialist Interest Groups in the field of Auditory Implants.

To contribute to the professional development of undergraduates and postgraduate students of various disciplines regarding the clinical specialities of the post, including recommendation regarding literature within the speciality, attending courses and relevant meetings.

To lecture undergraduates and postgraduate students of various disciplines on areas related to the clinical specialties of the post.

Present scientific papers dealing with complex, sometimes contentious information to professional and scientific groups at a national and international level.

To enhance and maintain an up-to-date knowledge library of developments within specialist field of Audiology.

To collate and present departmental research and audit data to fellow professionals and research teams involved in the field of Adult Auditory Implants at regional and national level.

To support production of Auditory Implant Team presentations for research meetings and conferences.

Collate and formulate clinical data for research groups and other centres involved in multi-centre studies.

Professional

To maintain up-to-date patient records (both written and audio-visual) and provide a high standard of report writing as and when required.

To work calmly when under pressure from a busy case load and to meet deadlines to demonstrate good methodical and prioritised work using organisational skills.

To maintain and provide patient and total-caseload statistics according to departmental requirements.

To maintain a high level of academic knowledge in the field, including the critical appraisal of up-to-date references to be an expert resource/practitioner in the field of auditory implants.

To attend, and contribute where possible to national and international conferences in order to keep abreast of developments in the field of Auditory Implants.

To maintain professional CPD requirements, and membership of professional organisations.

Research and Development:

Participate in clinical trials, research projects, and routine audits relating to diagnostic procedures and outcomes of therapeutic interventions contributing to the development of the Auditory Implant department.

Regularly participates in research and development activity relating to diagnostic procedures and outcomes of therapeutic interventions contributing to the development of the Auditory Implant department

Initiates research, assemble and co-ordinates information required, liaise with companies in case of commercial research and applies for ethical approval.

Adapting tests and equipment to meet the specific needs of a particular study, and reviewing results thereof.

To assist in identifying and implementing changes in practice suggested by audit procedures and departmental research, and to measure their effectiveness.

To participate in Audiology and Hearing Implant Team presentations.

To liaise with other staff regarding research projects relating to Audiology and Hearing Implants, and co-ordinate research projects as appropriate.

To liaise with other members of staff as appropriate regarding setting of new outcome measures and quality standards for the Audiology and Auditory Implant Departments, and ensure adherence to these changes.