Authors: Şule Çekiç¹; Hande Çakıroğlu²; David Tomé³; Nil Gizem Eyrekkaya²
¹Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Department of Audiology; ²Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Institute of Health Sciences; ³Polytechnic Institute of Porto
Background: Hearing loss is a growing global health concern. Tele-audiology can improve access to care through remote services, yet its implementation remains limited. In Türkiye, research on practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes is insufficient.
Method: This prospective, quantitative survey included 75 practitioners (18–65 years) from 55 hearing aid centers. Data were collected via digital platforms and WhatsApp using a 27-item questionnaire administered through Google Forms. Analyses were conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics.
Results: Approximately 54.7% of participants were familiar with tele-audiology. Its main use was hearing aid fitting and follow-up (97.6%). No significant associations was found between knowledge and gender (p=0.701) or professional title (p=0.840). Among prior users, 53.3% found it useful, and prior experience was significantly associated with perceived usefulness (p=0.001). Additionally, 60% requested further training and 86.7% suggested improvements in current systems; satisfaction was significantly associated with the desire for improvement (p=0.035). Most users reported no negative feedback from patients.
Conclusion: Tele-audiology in Türkiye remains underutilized despite its potential to expand access to hearing care. Although practitioners are generally open to its use, applications are largely limited to device-related services, indicating a gap between awareness and broader clinical implementation. These findings highlight the need for targeted training, stronger infrastructure, and standardized service models to support wider integration into routine practice.
