The Outcome
The solution was a success, however Triton was apprehensive about how clients would react. “Our staff were initially concerned that clients wouldn’t like the concept, but it was business as usual. Clients really embraced it and had no qualms about having a virtual consultation with an audiologist. In fact, they were blown away by the quality of our Cisco solution,” Lett said.
Steve Bethell, a pastoral farmer and a Triton Hearing client, residing in regional New Zealand experienced immediate benefits to the new teleaudiology solution. “To me it was like him (audiologist) being in the same room, distance is no barrier. To be able to be in Timaru speaking with one of New Zealand's best audiologists, is unreal” Bethell said.
The ability to access specialist care for regional patients has addressed inclusivity for hearing loss patients and has improved their overall health and well being.
“I can enjoy life so much more, when I got home here i could hear the birds and I could hear my feet walking on the shingle and I went wow! What have I been missing?” Bethell continued. “I’m finding in public, I can actually hear conversations and i’m part of the conversation, you’ve changed my life and I thank you (Triton Hearing) for that.” he said.
The solutions took 18 months to implement from start to finish, including the research phase and trial in Timaru, yet Triton Hearing saw a return on their investment within just one month of delivering teleaudiology services in one of its high-demand clinics.
“The biggest benefit has been the time and money saved by not sending audiologist out on the road,” said Lett, “allowing the business to improve workflow and make the most of the audiologist’s time; generating an additional 20 appointments per week and reducing waiting times in the clinics by up to three weeks.
Lett continued, “Many clinics didn’t have regular access to an audiologist, so clients were waiting weeks for an appointment. Now we can schedule an appointment that same week. This not only helps us become more efficient, but enhances the level of care we’re providing to our clients.”
