Page 26 - Primary Care Audiology

Innovation

In addition to ensuring timely access to existing technologies,
as champions of hearing care and patients’ rights, we will
support all clinical and service innovations which advance safety,
effectiveness, and patient and public benefit. This includes better
self-management and choice in ear and hearing technologies,
which improve patient outcomes and advance the possibilities of
audiology as a therapeutic science.

In time, innovation may include evidence-based hearables, over-
the-counter devices, hearing aids with general health monitoring
capabilities, new cochlear implant eligibility criteria, and techniques
such as video otoscopy, remote monitoring and applying artificial
intelligence (AI) in diagnostic, therapeutic and support services.
In all cases, where the evidence supports it, we will call for the most
effective audiology models to be properly funded by the NHS to
ensure patients can access the care they need in the most appropriate
locations. Planning should also transcend traditional sector boundaries
so that high-quality patient-focused services are available to all.

To meet population needs, we are committed to the following:

• Promoting evidence-based • Tackling barriers to
guidance on adopting accessing and using hearing
hearing technologies technologies, including
the stigma associated with
• Improving education and using hearing aids
training about referral criteria
for specialist implantable • Ending the unjustifiable
devices so that every person levying of standard-rated
can make an informed choice VAT on hearing aids
about the intervention that is • Publicly supporting
right for them
innovation to improve quality
• Supporting innovative of life, outcomes and access
and evidence-based for people with hearing and
technologies, provided these communication difficulties
are safe and benefit patients and challenging obstacles to
change in the public interest.

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