Description:

In sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) environments, hearing aid features such as Bluetooth and bidirectional microphones—which allow seamless communication between hearing aids and communication devices—are considered security risks. Fortunately, industry, audiology, and the intelligence community have collaborated to achieve a solution so patients who wear hearing aids and work in these secure locations can receive the full benefits of amplification. This session will address considerations for hearing aids for patients who work in secure locations. The presenter will share strategies currently being used by providers within the National Capital Region to fit hearing aids for individuals working in SCIF environments.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Describe the challenges audiologists face when fitting hearing aids for patients who work in SCIF environments
• List the features of hearing aids within SCIF environments that are considered high risk to governing bodies
• Utilize strategies to fit hearing aids for individuals working in SCIF environments

Related Courses

This is one of three courses in the ASHA Audiology 2024: Topics in Audiology Services webinar series. See all the courses in this series.

Contents

• Introduction (5 min.)
• Benefits of technological advances (10 min.)
• Challenges of technology within secure environments (15 min.)
• Overcoming fitting challenges for patient population within secure environments (20 min.)
• Q&A (10 min.)

Presenter Information

Kimberly Jenkins, PhD, CCC-A (she/her/hers) received her doctorate in clinical audiology from the University of Maryland in College Park. She is currently a clinical audiologist at the Auditory and Speech Clinic at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, serving as the Hearing Aid Program Manager, POC for IT issues within the clinic, one of two virtual health providers, and the POC for auditory processing evaluation and treatment within the National Capital Region. As a previous research audiologist, she remains heavily involved in several research protocols at Walter Reed related to evaluation of and treatment for subjective hearing issues in the presence of background noise.

Financial Disclosures:

• None

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete and submit the learning assessment by the end date below.

Program History and CE Information

Content origination date: March 14, 2024
End date: March 16, 2029

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).