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