MCMS & BCMA: Addressing the Expansion of Audiologists’ Scope of Practice

MEDCHI, THE MARYLAND STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY
HOUSE OF DELEGATES

INTRODUCED BY: Baltimore County Medical Association and Montgomery County Medical Society

SUBJECT: Addressing the Expansion of Audiologists’ Scope of Practice

REFERRED TO:

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  1. Whereas, House Bill 464/Senate Bill 795, effective October 1, 2024, expands the
  2. scope of practice for audiologists to include the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment
  3. of any auditory or vestibular condition of the ear, as well as conducting health
  4. screenings, and the ordering of cultures, bloodwork testing, and radiographic imaging;
  5. and
  6.  
  7. Whereas, the Maryland Society of Otolaryngology (MSO) and MedChi opposed this
  8. legislation due to concerns about patient safety and the potential for audiologists to
  9. practice outside their traditional areas of expertise; and
  10.  
  11. Whereas, the expansion of scope without adequate medical training may increase the
  12. risk of misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and delay in receiving necessary
  13. medical care, particularly in complex cases that require the expertise of a trained
  14. physician; and
  15.  
  16. Whereas, audiologists’ training, while extensive in auditory and vestibular care, does
  17. not include the broader medical education required to comprehensively evaluate and
  18. manage the systemic implications of auditory and vestibular conditions, nor does it
  19. prepare them for the ordering and interpretation of bloodwork, cultures and
  20. sensitivities, and radiographic and other imaging studies.
  21.  
  22. Whereas, patient safety and the quality of care should remain paramount, with a clear
  23. distinction maintained between the roles of audiologists and physicians in the
  24. healthcare system; therefore, be it
  25.  
  26. RESOLVED, that MedChi advocate for legislation to ensure that the scope of practice for
  27. audiologists is within the boundaries of their specialized training.