Telehealth gives audiologists the potential to open up services to millions of people who could benefit from them, including U. S. military service members and veterans. Using new technologies can remove barriers to accessing our care—barriers such as age and geographic location.

The latest forum from the American Journal of Audiology (AJA) provides examples of how you can leverage technology to expand access to your services. This forum was developed from papers presented at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) conference, “Innovations in Auditory and Vestibular eHealth.” Guest Editors Dawn Konrad-Martin, Pat Feeney, Kim Shairer, and Chad Gladden collaborated to bring this forum to AJA.

Innovations in Auditory and Vestibular eHealth

In the introduction, Feeney and colleagues discuss the importance of using telepractice to improve access to services, and they introduce the articles. An article by Worthington puts the latest telepractice technology into context, starting with the use of telepractice more than 150 years ago. Similarly, Cruise looks at the past, present, and future of telepractice within the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Gladden et al. highlight how the VA has expanded its services to rural areas via telepractice. Then, Edmonds describes virtual progressive tinnitus management therapy, finding that most veterans reported improvements afterwards.

Gortemaker and Lien present a care model that combines automated audiometry and asynchronous telehealth to provide veterans with a diagnosis and a care plan. Next, Black focuses on how a clinician can deliver hearing tests and hearing aid fittings at community-based clinics using a web-based teleconferencing platform.

Trueheart and Hildrew describe a program that allows audiologists to offer cochlear implant services remotely—including patient education, programming, and rehabilitation. Finally, Kleindienst Robler and colleagues highlight a telehealth program that provides audiology care in remote communities in Alaska.

Dedicated to Clinicians!

A key feature of the NCRAR forum is that many of the presenters are clinicians. In their introduction, the guest editors write that this forum is dedicated to ASHA’s clinicians and the individuals they serve. We honor the way that clinicians have persistently navigated telepractice—from adopting it on a larger scale in 2020 to advocating for its continued expansion in 2025 and beyond.

We’d like to thank Drs. Konrad-Martin, Feeney, Shairer, and Gladden for bringing this forum to ASHA members. You can read the entire forum in the latest issue of AJA, or explore the individual articles below.

Explore the Forum

Black, A. (2025). Best practices with cart-based synchronous audiology. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 807–826. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00122

Cruise, C. (2025). Overview of telehealth in the Department of Veterans Affairs. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 781–784. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-24-00274

Edmonds, C. M. (2025). Virtual progressive tinnitus management group care using VA video connect. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 790–799. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-24-00231

Feeney, M. P., Gladden, C., Schairer, K. S., & Konrad-Martin, D. (2025). Innovations in auditory and vestibular eHealth: Proceedings from the 11th biennial conference of the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 763–766. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00235

Gladden, C., McArdle, R., & McClenney, S. (2025). Overview of teleaudiology in the Department of Veterans Affairs. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 785–789. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00050

Gortemaker, M., & Lien, T. (2025). Veterans Integrated Service Network 19 hub-and-spoke model for asynchronous automated audiometry. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 800–806. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00051

Robler, S. K., Hofstetter, P., & Kokesh, J. (2025). Telemedicine for audiology and ENT in Alaska: 10 years and a pandemic later. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 837–843. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-24-00282

Trueheart, C. E., & Hildrew, D. M. (2025). Remote cochlear implant services to improve veteran outcomes. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 827–836. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-24-00230

Worthington, D. (2025). Integration of virtual care in the audiology service and beyond. American Journal of Audiology, 34(4), 767–780. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00149