This webinar will address current practices for quantifying workplace noise and how they identify noise-hazardous locations and quantify individual worker noise exposures. The math underlying operation of noise dosimeters is explained with the goal of improving accuracy of automated readings.

Presenters:

• Charles Jokel - Mr. Charles Jokel received an MS degree in engineering from the University of Texas in 1972, complementing his MAT degree in the teaching of science received from Colgate University in 1969.  Mr. Jokel currently works for the U.S. Army Defense Centers for Public Health in Aberdeen Maryland as a noise control engineer, consulting on Army noise problems and providing expertise on noise issues for the Army Health Hazard Assessment Program.  Prior to joining the Army in 2004, he had worked in private industry as a noise control consultant, specializing in industrial and product noise control.  One of Mr. Jokel’s numerous technical papers in the field of noise control, the NIOSH publication“Industrial Noise Control, revised edition” was one of that agency’s most popular publications.
• • Financial Disclosures
  • None
  • Non-Financial Disclosures
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• Christopher J. Smalt is a technical staff member in the Human Health & Performance Systems Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. His current work focuses on computational auditory modeling, specifically on mechanisms of hearing damage and the effect of noise exposure on hearing and cognitive performance. As part his research, he has developed a personal noise monitoring system for industrial and tactical environments with combined continuous and impulse noise, as well as taken and analyzed noise data during military training exercises. Dr. Smalt received a BS degree in computer engineering from Clarkson University and earned both MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue University
• • Financial Disclosures
  • None
  • Non-Financial Disclosures
  • None

  Moderator:

• J. Andrew Merkley - Dr. Merkley is an occupational and clinical Audiologist with over 22 years of experience in both national and international workplaces. His experience includes small clinic management to strategic oversight and responsibility for large multi-clinic regions.  His presentation experience includes podium, poster, and full workshop presentations at national and international conferences on topics including hearing health education, process improvement, and management of workplace hearing injuries.  He holds a Master of Science in Communicative Disorders from Utah State University and Doctor of Audiology from Central Michigan University. He holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. He is certified as a Course Director and Professional Supervisor by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation and also serves as the Council Chair.

Program Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify procedures for performing workplace noise surveys. 

2. Identify procedures for quantifying workplace noise exposures.

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This session was designed to aid hearing conservationists and educators with the successful application of virtual audiometry and patient simulators during training activities. Several website- and software-based programs have been developed for general diagnostic audiology education, and to date two such website-based tools have been developed specifically to facilitate manual testing technique training for Occupational Hearing Conservationists. The developers of those programs will demonstrate their use, discuss the application of these types of alternative teaching delivery methods, and provide guidance on the development of partial or fully virtual practica in the context of CAOHC training courses.

Presenters:

• Frank Wartinger, Au.D., ABAC, is an active CAOHC Course Director and the founder of Earmark Hearing Conservation, a music audiology clinic in Philadelphia. He serves on the CAOHC (Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation) Course Director Committee, is an adjunct faculty at Wayne State University, and co-authored the AAA 2020 Clinical Consensus Document “Audiological Services for Musicians and Music Industry Personnel”. He is an active member of the NHCA (National Hearing Conservation Association) Music Induced Hearing Disorders Task Force and served as the NHCA Director of Communications from 2017-2019. Additionally, Dr. Wartinger created and hosts “Talking Ears”, a musician-focused hearing health podcast.

• Sarah Mouser, Au.D., CCC-A, CPS/A is the owner of Occupational Sound Solutions and an active CAOHC Course Director. She is based in North Carolina however; she manages Hearing Conservation Programs for companies all over the United States. Dr. Mouser is currently licensed in 26 states. In addition, Dr. Mouser owns and operates an Ophthalmology and Clinical Audiology practice, Southeastern Eye Care, PA, with her husband who is an Ophthalmologist.

• Kirsten McCall, Au.D., CCC-A, CPS/A Practicing as an occupational audiologist for over 25 years, Kirsten’s passion is the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the National Hearing Conservation Association. Kirsten became a certified Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) Course Director in 1994. Dr. McCall teaches numerous initial and recertification courses to nurses, physicians, industrial hygienists, safety personnel, and medical assistants from occupational health clinics. She currently serves on the CAOHC Council, representing ASHA, and is chair of the OHC / CD committee. Kirsten is also a CAOHC-certified Professional Supervisor. As a consulting audiologist to industry, Dr. McCall serves as the Professional Supervisor of numerous hearing conservation programs.  Her responsibilities include audiometric data review and reporting, determination of work-relatedness, compliance audits, and professional supervision of audiometric technicians, hearing loss prevention training, and comprehensive noise surveys.In 2015, Dr. McCall launched her own company, Audiology Consulting and Training. Recreationally, Kirsten’s other passion is golf.

Program Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives: 

1. Operate the available virtual audiometric patient simulators
2. Employ the tools available to conduct virtual audiometry training in their courses.
3. Identify the steps required to plan a partially or fully virtual CAOHC practicum training session. 

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Over the past decade, several companies have worked to develop novel platforms to enable hearing assessment outside of the sound booth, to improve accessibility as well as efficiency. Effective solutions must include capabilities to meet additional requirements for specialty populations and markets, including foreign and domestic militaries as well as U.S. veterans. Expanded awareness and knowledge of boothless technologies is needed to inform and accelerate adoption and application of boothless audiometry to provide hearing health services. However, it can be challenging to track technological advancements in boothless audiometry products. This webinar will present an overview of boothless audiometry technologies currently available to the hearing conservation professional. Attendees will be provided overview presentations from participating boothless audiometry representatives and how these specific devices can be used for hearing conservation monitoring audiometry.

Presenters:

• Laura Prigge is an Application Specialist with GSI. Laura received her Doctorate of Audiology degree from AT Still University. Laura’s 20+ years of experience includes providing manufacturing support for a leading hearing aid manufacturer as well as technical audiology training and support for an international audiologic equipment company. Prior to that, she managed education and training at another hearing aid manufacturer and conducted audiologic evaluations on children, adults, and geriatric patients at a retail hearing center. 

The Automated Method for Testing Auditory Sensitivity, or AMTAS (Grason-Stadler, Inc. [GSI]), is a software program that functions with a GSI audiometer or as a stand-alone system using a tablet (see Figure 2). AMTAS allows a patient to take a self-directed hearing test. The AMTAS diagnostic and screening procedure uses patented test methods and accuracy algorithms researched, developed, implemented, and validated over 10 years.

• James (Jesse) A. Norris, Ph.D., has a background in biomedical engineering and applied research. Within auditory science, he has studied relationships between attenuation and comfort for custom earplugs; developed algorithms and hardware to support otoacoustic emissions research; and designed and built new hearing test equipment that pairs with mobile devices to increase the reach of hearing health care. He currently works at Edare and has been focused on transitioning hearing related technologies from research into products. He has helped Edare develop a production-ready quality system, register with the FDA, and oversees product development, manufacturing, and support.

The Wireless Automated Hearing Test System, or WAHTS, (Edare) was developed to increase access to hearing health care by eliminating the need for soundproof booth and highly trained personnel (Meinke et al., 2017). The Edare WAHTS device is an FDA-approved device for clinical application. The WAHTS system includes multiple test options, including manual audiometry, manual or automated screening, speech-in-noise testing, and additional tests for research initiatives.

• Renée Lefrançois obtained her degree in Audiology from the University of Ottawa, Canada in 1999. The first fifteen years of her career focused on cochlear implantation; first as a clinician and then managing the Canadian arm of Advanced Bionics LLC. Renée has also been a seasonal lecturer at the University of Ottawa teaching both full courses and individual modules in Audiology. As a founding member of CanHEAR Uganda (2007), Renée delivered hearing health care services and training in several cities in Uganda. In 2014, Renée joined the SHOEBOX Ltd. team as their Director of Audiology. Having obtained her CAOHC PS(A) certification in November 2018, she has spent the last several years focusing on occupational health and is currently managing the professional supervision and clinical review activities for many occupational health customers. Current areas of interest include occupational health, noise-induced hearing loss, teleaudiology, population health, ototoxicity, and the genetics of hearing loss.

The SHOEBOX audiometer (SHOEBOX, Ltd.) is the first portable, iPad-based audiometer listed as a Class II device by both the U.S. FDA and Health Canada. The SHOEBOX audiometer (see Figure 5) is calibrated to ANSI S3.6-2018 and meets ANSI S3.1-1999 (R2018) for testing outside of a sound booth. It includes options for both manual and automated testing and is designed to be used by audiologists or other trained personnel. SHOEBOX has been clinically validated for use as a diagnostic audiometer even when testing is performed outside of a sound booth. 

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CEUs not available: No credits of any kind will be offered for viewing the recorded version of this webinar.

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