Abstract
Clinic closures across the United States in response to the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic meant that many audiology services were reduced to phone calls,
video visits, and modified services (e.g., curbside, mail-ins, drop offs). Audiologists
and other providers needed a way to manage hearing- and ear-related complaints via
telehealth. A simple pure tone air conduction threshold test performed at home was
used to determine which patients needed to come into the clinic for an in-person appointment.
This case will review a 56-year-old male who was being treated for an idiopathic sudden
sensorineural hearing loss prior to clinic closure. He had on file a comprehensive
audiogram at first onset of symptoms and was treated with oral steroids. Virtual hearing
testing was then utilized for a variety of other patients from teenagers to adults
to triage hearing- and ear-related complaints while clinics were closed for in-person
visits.
Keywords
COVID-19 - audiogram - hearing loss - telehealth - virtual audiogram - uHear - hearing
test - sudden hearing loss
