Audiologist and Hearing Aid Dispenser: What Is the Difference?
| Audiologist | *Hearing Aid Dispenser | |
|---|---|---|
| State licensure required | ||
| Degree requirement: Master’s or doctorate in audiology | ||
| Degree requirement: High school diploma or associate’s degree | ||
| Clinical education training: 1,800+ hours of hands-on experience | ||
| Hearing aid fitting and dispensing: Adult population | ||
| Hearing aid fitting and dispensing: Pediatric population | ||
| May bill insurance, including Medicare, for medically necessary hearing and balance evaluations | ||
| Performs diagnostic hearing evaluations on children and adults | ||
| Serves as part of a medical team to conduct pre- and post-operative hearing evaluations | ||
| Evaluates and monitors patients who are at risk for ototoxicity (hearing and balance loss due to certain medications) | ||
| Evaluates and treats patients with dizziness and balance disorders | ||
| Evaluates and treats patients with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hyperacusis (sensitivity to sounds) | ||
| Evaluates and treats patients with cochlear implants or other implantable hearing devices | ||
| Performs hearing testing for the purposes of dispensing hearing aids | ||
| Performs hearing evaluations for the purposes of diagnosing and treating hearing loss |
*States may use a title other than hearing aid dispenser when referring to a nonaudiologist who is licensed to dispense hearing aids. Other similar titles are hearing instrument specialist, hearing aid specialist, hearing aid fitter, and hearing aid dealer.
