Technician, Audiology Health

Company: Kaiser
Location: Sublimity
Posted on: March 20, 2023

Job Description:

Technical aspects of hearing aid delivery. Management of hearing aid/assistive listening device ordering and inventory. Management of Infection Control, patient safety and clinical supplies for Audiology clinic. Clinical duties involve both direct (in person) & indirect (via phone or on-line) patient care activities requiring both simple to complex knowledge and skills. As appropriate to the positions- scope of authorized duties, the Audiology Assistant is expected to have competent observational, critical thinking, communication, problem solving & decision making skills in order to meet patient needs and contribute to the positive care experience and work environment. Works under the clinical supervision of the audiologist for patient care activities, and under the general direction of the designated manager/supervisor.--Essential Functions:- Prepares and organizes patient-s office visit for known reason/procedure by ensuring that all appropriate tests, clinical information (e.g. diagnostic test results, consultation reports) and assistive listening devices are ready for clinician review prior to appointment time.- Assures exam/procedure room contains appropriate supplies, equipment, forms, and educational materials are available and ready for use during visit/procedure.- Technical aspects of hearing aid delivery: receives patients from the Audiology staff, and under their direction, completes the Audiology hearing aid evaluation appointments at the request of the Audiology staff.- Receives and screens calls from members, walk-in appointments or incoming devices from members with complaints about their hearing aids or assistive listening devices. Performs troubleshooting checks upon malfunctioning hearing instruments to determine if problems can be corrected or instrument must be returned for repairs. Performs routine electroacoustical analysis of hearing aids on hearing aid test equipment for audiologist review; dispenses repaired items to members. Cleans earmolds and hearing aids. Changes tubing in patient-s custom earmolds.- Provides members with loaner hearing aids from the Audiology Clinic stock as directed by the clinical Audiologist.- Management of hearing aids and hearing aid accessory ordering and inventory: manages the entry of hearing aid orders. Monitors the timeliness of manufacturer-s delivery of new custom or repaired hearing aids to assure hearing aids are available for scheduled hearing aid evaluation appointments and issuance. Monitors the Audiology staff-s orders for accuracy and timeliness. Checks incoming new hearing aids for accuracy of the manufacturer-s design of the custom order. Communicates with Audiology staff with order inaccuracies and initiates adjustment as needed from patient Audiology Clinic records and consultation with staff.- Maintains loaner and stock hearing aid inventories for the Audiology Clinic and assists the Audiology Clinic staff in reconciliation of the semi-annual stock inventory. Assists the Audiology staff in maintaining inventory and independently monitors and initiates stock level requests from material management.- Management of Infection Control, patient safety and clinical supplies for Audiology. This includes monitoring, maintaining inventories and ordering supplies for earmolds, hearing aid repairs, and Audiology Clinic diagnostics. The health technician maintains clean, disinfected and sometimes-sterilized instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces for the Audiology Clinic, including the Audiology test sites.- Other duties as assigned.Basic Qualifications:Experience- Two (2) years of keyboarding/typing and navigating multiple computer applications in a Windows environment, including data input.Education- High school diploma or GED.License, Certification, Registration---N/A.----Additional Requirements:- Demonstrated interpersonal and customer service skills (assessment required for external candidates).- Work involves regular and recurring contact with patients who are unusually difficult to communicate with because of deficits in hearing. In position interview, the technician may be required to demonstrate skill in communicating with these patients.- The position requires that the health technician be flexible in dealing with and adjusting to the many needs of the professional staff, patients and family members.- Demonstrated literacy in using computers and keyboards.- Skills in problem solving, setting priorities and using good judgment for decisions.- Ability to work independently and efficiently under pressure.- Familiarity in documenting in an electronic medical record system.- Ability to follow specific oral and written instructions.- Able to work with children who may have hearing loss or behavioral problems.--Preferred Qualifications:- Graduate of accredited Medical Assistant program.- Ability to follow specific oral & written instructions.- Knowledge of terminology & clinical procedure necessary to maintain records related to patients, supplies, equipment, prostheses, & clinical activities.- Knowledge of medical terminology & abbreviations which would be required to communicate w/other professionals regarding the patients seen.- Technical skills including: The proper & safe use of an otoscope & other equipment used in fabricating & modifying earmolds. Knowledge of the basic anatomy of the external ear & external auditory canal; ability to observe the relevant actions in fabricating earmolds: need for cerumen removal. Basic knowledge of the instruments used in all of the above testing. Basic electronics required to troubleshoot hearing aids & assistive listening devices.- Procedures for doing the work have been well established & a number of specific guidelines are available.- The technician is required to use independent judgement in selecting the most appropriate guideline or procedure & making minor deviations to adapt the guideline or procedure to specific or unique patient care situations.- In addition to his/her knowledge base, he/she may also utilize appropriate resources, reference materials, personal or telephone contact.- Checking electroacoustical characteristics of hearing aids requires the use of complex equipment & proper procedures for accuracy. The most current fitting practices of hearing aids include programmable hearing aids. The technician must be capable of programming these new advanced instruments to the settings defined at issue so that the instrument-s acoustical properties can be verified when repairs are needed.- The technician-s responsibilities involve numerous, varied & substantive technical tasks involving many functions of the Audiology Clinic. Because of the number & variety of assigned duties, the health technician is responsible for establishing priorities, planning & carrying out assignments in an effective manner. The position requires that the health technician must be flexible in dealing w/& adjusting to the many needs of the professional staff, patients, & family members.- Work involves regular & recurring contact w/patients who are unusually difficult to communicate w/because of deficits in hearing. The technician is required to use skill in communicating w/these patients. In addition some patients are mentally or physically ill or handicapped.- The work requires individual be able to stand while doing work, bend, reach into high cabinets, & carry items 5-10lb, (ie: boxes, charts, papers or books). Occasionally a piece of equipment would need to be moved. Some walking is also required to interact w/patients & other services.- The work is carried out in the earmold fabrication room & Audiology areas in the Audiology Clinic. The work requires recurring use of sharp tools, drills, polishers, irrigation pumps, curettes, forceps, etc. The eyes are protected against flying debris during these activities.- Prior experience w/Epic medical system.- Employee accessing electronic files must comply w/provisions of the Privacy Act & other applicable laws & regulations. The employee is responsible for protecting such data from unauthorized release, deletion, alteration, or loss, & following applicable regulations & instructions regarding access, release of access codes, etc. as set out in the computer access agreement which the employee signs.Job Schedule: Job Category: Clinical Support

Keywords: Kaiser, Portland , Technician, Audiology Health, Healthcare , Sublimity, Oregon