How to Select an Audiologist

Whenever you need to choose a medical professional, it's natural to have concerns about finding the right one. You're putting your health in someone else's hands, so you need to know that they're going to look after you. If you're looking for an audiologist, you might never have been to one before. When you're not sure what to look for or what sort of criteria you should be considering, you can feel uncertain about making the right choice. There are a few different things that you can do and consider if you want to choose the best audiologist for your needs.

Get referrals and recommendations

If you don't know where to start with choosing an audiologist, it's a good idea to start by asking for a referral or recommendation. Other medical professionals such as your primary physician can refer you to an audiologist. If your insurance covers hearing tests, you might be required to have a professional referral. As well as referrals, you can also get recommendations. These might be from family, friends or even colleagues. Another good way to start your search is simply by searching online for an audiologist in your preferred location. This should give you a few options to explore.

Check services

When you have a few audiologists that you can consider, you need to check that they have the services that you require. Firstly, you will want to make sure that they offer full hearing tests. You might also be looking for extra services like hearing aid evaluations, hearing aid selection and repair, and tinnitus treatment. If an audiologist offers a range of services, you will have one place that you can go to for all of your hearing and ear health needs. Take a look at the resources that the audiologist offers so you can see how they can help you.

Check qualifications and accreditations

Another thing that you will want to do is check the qualifications and accreditations that the audiologist has. One thing to note is that you're looking for an audiologist, rather than another type of hearing care professional. Audiologists are trained professionals who can carry out hearing tests and evaluations. An audiologist has either a master's degree or doctorate and has studied a range of subjects relating to hearing loss, balance disorders and other things concerning hearing health. Other professionals such as hearing instrument specialists are not educated to the same standard, although they can still be helpful.

Read about the business history

You might also want to check the history of the business to find out more about it. A lot of people prefer choosing a service that has a proven track record. Read about the business and their staff to learn more about how long they have been running and what experience the employees have. However, you don't necessarily have to discount an audiologist because they haven't been in business as long as others. If the staff have the right qualifications and experience and the services that you need are available, you might try them out.

Read testimonials and reviews

Most people want to know what others think of a service before they try it themselves. As well as asking friends and family if they can recommend anyone, you can check reviews and testimonials to see what other people have thought of the services they have received. Testimonials on the audiologist's website will get you off to a good start if you're looking for some positive opinions. However, there are also review websites that you might want to check if you're looking for a more balanced picture. Many audiologists are transparent and display all of their reviews on their website.

Find out about aftercare

As well as having a service to test your hearing and provide you with hearing aids, you might want to make sure you have an audiologist who continues to look after you. That means you might look for aftercare services such as hearing aid fittings and repairs. If you choose the right audiologist, they can take care of all of your hearing needs so that you don't need to go anywhere else. When you buy your hearing aids from your audiologist, you can usually go to the same place for repairs or any other problems that you might have.

Find your perfect Sioux Falls audiologist at Baker Audiology & Hearing Aids. Call us at (605) 610-3466 to book a hearing test, ask about any of our other services or find out more about what we can do for you.