Lay summary
I am an Advanced Audiology Practitioner with a PhD in Audiology, specialising in public service redesign using novel advanced Allied Health-led models of care to improve clinical and service outcomes. My goals are to undertake translatable research in the clinical setting and significantly improve the experiences and outcomes of children and their whaanau with hearing or ear disorders (OME, otitis media with effusion). I recently implemented a pilot within the ORL department at Counties Manukau to reduce waittimes and streamline whanau journeys using audiologists with extended scope of practice with a holistic model. This pilot has been highly successful and has received further funding to continue. This award will enable me to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the Advanced Audiology OME Service and drive development of nationally recognised scopes of practice, tertiary training qualifications and the expansion of the model throughout Aotearoa.