3 Ways to Find the Right Audiologist

Selecting an audiologist, like any health care provider, is not an easy feat. Proper research should be undertaken to ensure that your audiologist is best able to handle your specific needs. While it may be a bit of work initially, because you will probably be dealing with hearing issues the rest of your life, finding someone you can have a safe and helpful relationship will benefit you in the long run.  

1. Education  

Audiologists should have their Doctorate of Audiology (Au D.). While most professionals will have their documents on the walls of their office, it’s acceptable to ask for proof of their credentials before proceeding with them. The Doctorate of Audiology can take eight to ten years to complete and shows that your audiologist has a comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy and is best able to help you with any hearing problems.  

2. Recommendations 

Word of mouth is still the best way to select a health care professional, including an audiologist. Ask other people that you know who have seen audiologists in the past. If no one in your close circle of friends has been to one, then social media might be a good place to turn to. If you feel comfortable doing so, a post on your Facebook or Twitter account should elicit numerous responses. Other friends can add their opinions and possible refute or agree with some recommendations. Remember, though, that you need to feel completely comfortable with your audiologist. Even if someone you know has had a good experience with a specific person, you don’t need to follow their advice if you don’t feel like it will be a good fit.  

3. Location 

Sometimes an audiologist can come highly recommended by multiple people that you trust, but if they are located in an inconvenient to your location then they might not be a good fit. Make sure you first understand how you will get to your future appointments. If you drive your own car and are comfortable with longer distances, this will widen your range in your search for the perfect audiologist. If, however, you take transit or rely on someone else to drive you to appointments, you need to make sure your audiologist is located on a busy transit route or is close enough to not cause inconvenience to anyone else.  

Sometimes people think that an audiologist should be located close to home. But if you work full time, then another option may be close to your workplace. After all, most appointments will probably be made during the workweek. If you can’t secure an appointment time at the beginning or end of the day, it may be too inconvenient to take off in the middle of a work day, which means you would have to take the entire day off to accommodate a short appointment.  

Also, take into account if you plan on moving in the near future. There’s nothing worse than finding an audiologist that works great in your present location and then, when you move, you find out that it’s too inconvenient to get to from a different location.