Audiologists must be able to differentiate and articulate what makes audiology care unique if we expect consumers, legislators, and payers to understand its value. Consider the following and how each impacts perceptions and the value of audiology care.

Autonomy: Audiologists must develop independence and control over their profession. Most audiologists belong to professional organizations and subsequently are required to abide by codes of ethics that guide professional behavior. State licensure laws often also have codes of ethics. Audiologists must own audiology care, and the principles and policies that guide professional behaviors must result in high public respect.

Scope of practice: Audiologists are not only licensed to test hearing for the purpose of fitting hearing aids. An audiologist's scope of practice includes many things; perhaps most important and valuable is the diagnostic hearing evaluation. Consumers must be educated about the value of diagnostic audiology in personal healthcare so they know to see an audiologist when they or a loved one have any hearing or balance issues.

Credentials: Audiologists must be able to explain what differentiates audiologists from dispensers: professional education, degrees, audiology license, and the fact that audiologists can secure National Provider Identifiers (NPI) to bill Medicare and other third party payers for diagnostic services are unique and provide value.

Exemplary patient care: We must provide excellent service while establishing best practice protocols based on research and fact.

Financial stability and ROI: Audiologists are educated, licensed and qualified, and they must be able to earn a good living, support families and secure a reasonable return on their educational investment. We must stop thinking that exceptional compensation is mutually exclusive of quality patient care when, in fact, exceptional ­compensation depends on quality patient care.

Practice models: Offering professional services at no charge or bundling professional fees into products can have a negative impact on consumers' perceptions of the value of audiology services. We must consider the impact professional practice models have on consumers, Medicare and other third party payers and how those models impact reimbursement.

Third party reimbursement: Many third party payers look to Medicare to establish their policies. We must differentiate for ourselves, consumers, third party payers, and legislators why a diagnostic hearing test is always the necessary first step in appropriate hearing care. We must reject programs that eliminate diagnostic testing.

Direct access: While direct access generally is considered a good thing, it may have consequences in reimbursement or requirements associated with federal and state laws and regulations. Limited Licensure Practitioner status would give consumers access to audiology care without the current need for a physician referral. Although audiologists are not physicians, being considered the same as physicians when it comes to federal reimbursement could boost the value of audiology care.

Contributions: Audiologists' ability and willingness to contribute to political action committees, universities and organizations that promote causes important to our profession will also impact the public's perception of audiology and therefore our value. An audiologist's willingness to "give" ties directly to compensation or financial ability to do so, as well as knowledge of the issues and their potential impact.

Self esteem: As healthcare professionals, audiologists must communicate the value of audiology care via their actions, policies, behaviors, protocols, marketing, and pricing if we expect consumers, third party payers and legislators to understand the consequences of self-diagnosis and the value of audiology care.

Kathy Foltner, AuD, is CEO of AuDNet Inc. She also teaches courses in Practice Management and Basic Business at Rush University Medical Center and Salus University. Contact her at kfoltner@aud-net.com or 312-593-1787. Visit www.NowiHear.com or www.aud-net.com for more information.