Interview with Ronald Choquette Audiologist, President of Canadian Academy of Audiology
AO/Beck: Hi Ron. Thanks for meeting with me today.
Choquette: Hi Doug, it's my pleasure.
AO/Beck: Ron, would you please tell me a little about your professional career and your practice?
Choquette: Certainly. I graduated 18 years ago with my master's from Montreal University. In fact, Montreal is the only place in North America where one can study audiology in French. My practice is essentially bilingual. I am a general practitioner in audiology and I practice in a rural area with about 35 thousand people.
AO/Beck: How long ago did you establish the Canadian Academy of Audiology (CAA)?
Choquette: We are just now in our 6th year, so we're a relatively new group.
AO/Beck: How many audiologists are in Canada and how many of them are in the CAA?
Choquette: There are about 800 audiologists or so across the country. About 300 of them are members in the CAA. Of course, just like in the USA the work load is substantial, and there are not enough audiologists to go around.
AO/Beck: Is there any kind of an established or formal relationship between the CAA and the AAA?
Choquette: Yes, in some respects. For example, our key note speaker for the 2002 CAA Convention in early October will be Angela Loavenbruck, and of course she is the president of the AAA. Additionally, we are trying to initiate a better and more comprehensive relationship with the AAA because we all face many of the same concerns, and I think the CAA will develop along the same lines as did the AAA, and there are many commonalities across the two organizations.
AO/Beck: What type of issues are the hot topics for the CAA?
Choquette: Professionalism, autonomy and visibility are, of course, very important. That is, we want to be recognized as professionals and to assume the responsibilities that go with that. Importantly, another big and somewhat new area for us are business issues such as insurance, billing and reimbursement issues. We need to make sure we can bill for our clinical services, and of course, we need to be paid for the work we do. So I think many of these areas overlap with AAA concerns. We are also working on new marketing programs to help get the word out to the other professionals and to the public as well about hearing, hearing loss, hearing aids and aural rehabilitation.
AO/Beck: How is health care delivery different in Canada than it is in the USA?
Choquette: In Canada, many people have government paid health insurance, and of course, just as in the USA, many professionals are moving towards private practice. About a year ago there was an issue in Ontario, but the bottom line is that audiologists are trying to be paid directly by the government and the insurance companies, and this whole movement is just beginning. However, public health care funding in Canada is probably not going to want to pay for additional services, or more hearing aids, so you'll probably see more and more people going to private insurance companies that offer broader services and in particular that offer audiologic services and hearing aids.
AO/Beck: Does the government pay for most of the hearing aids in Canada, or are those days pretty much over?
Choquette: The government used to be more involved is providing hearing aids for individuals, but those days are pretty much over. These days hearing aids are mostly paid for by the patients themselves. The only place where the government might pay for hearing aids is in the French-speaking province of Quebec. In general, hearing aids are privately purchased in Canada.
AO/Beck: What about the Au.D.? What is the situation regarding Au.D. education in Canada?
Choquette: We want to promote the discussion about the Au.D., but there are no colleges or universities that offer the Au.D. in Canada just yet. I think the Au.D. is a wonderful thing for the profession and the public we serve, but we just don't have the programs here yet. Nonetheless, Canadian audiologists are studying for their Au.D. through the USA schools. We have about 75 Canadian audiologists who are seeking their Au.D. via the distance education programs in the USA, and that's going to be a terrific stepping stone for us. We need to go through many of the same educational processes in Canada as in the USA. So again, we would like to work closely with the AAA because they have already accomplished so much, and we are seeking many of the same goals for our members and the patients we serve.
AO/Beck: Is the retail cost of hearing aids comparable in Canada to the USA?
Choquette: Yes, I think so. The price for a set of digital CICs in Canada might be around 5000 to 5500 dollars USA.
AO/Beck: How healthy is the relationship between physicians and audiologists in Canada?
Choquette: I think the relationship is good, but it could be better. Many physicians just don't know what hearing aids are and what they can do, so they are reluctant to refer. We are trying to help educate the physicians as to hearing aids, audiologists and outcomes of appropriate management and amplification. I think they are always surprised to see how far amplification technology has come and they are always surprised by the excellent results of so many patients.
AO/Beck: Ron, thanks for your time today. I wish you all the best and I thank you for your time.
Choquette: Thank you too Doug. It's been lots of fun, and I wish you continued success with Audiology Online.
For More Information on the Canadian Academy of Audiology, click here
