Audiology Clinic

4/7/2024: Bendigo Health is currently unable able to offer an Audiology service. We are exploring alternative options to provide Audiology and hope to resume the service as soon as possible.

Audiology Australia has an active list of Audiology services, which may assist you to find an alternate provider. https://audiology.asn.au/find-an-audiologist/

How to refer your patient

We accept referrals from health professionals including:

-      Maternal and Child Health Nurse

-      Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists

-      Medical Practitioners (GP) or other medical e.g. Oncology

-      Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program

-      Speech pathologists, Audiologists and other allied health professionals

Internal Referrals

Internal referrals (from other departments within Bendigo Health) can be sent via ePR or through the Bendigo Health Referral Centre.

External Referrals

Referrals from external health professionals can be made to the Bendigo Health Referral Centre using:

-      The Health Communities and Continuing Care GP referral form (Bendigo Health intranet) – indicating Audiology

-      Bendigo Health paediatric Speech Pathology and Audiology form

-      SCTT form (below)

-      Other written referral letter, which must include: reason for referral and relevant history, name, date of birth, address, phone number, parent/carer details, GP details, ATSI status, Medicare number, consent to referral

Clinic service overview

Audiologists at Bendigo Health offer diagnostic assessment for infants, children and adults including:

• Pure tone audiometry (including visual reinforcement audiometry and play audiometry)
• Speech audiometry (speech discrimination assessment)
• Impedance audiometry (middle ear function)
• Site of lesion Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
• Diagnostic infant hearing tests (evoked potentials threshold determination, including ABR, Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR))
• Otoacoustic emissions

Problems may arise from

• Refer result from Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP) from birth

•  

  Delayed speech and language development in children
• Chronic middle ear disease
• Ear and/or head trauma
• Sudden or gradual hearing loss
• Ototoxic medications
• Family history of hearing loss
• Illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis and bell’s palsy

Specialist Clinics

Allied Health Specialist Clinics for ear health, vestibular, swallowing, and upper airway conditions

GPs can refer patients to any of the following services via the Bendigo Health Referral Centre (BPAC or fax):

-      Vestibular physiotherapy

-      Speech pathology – swallow/airway 

-      Audiology - ear health (refer for new/unexplained hearing loss, tinnitus)