Steps You Should Take to Protect Your Voice and Hearing During Telemedicine Sessions

by By John Parsons, AuD, M. Eugenia Castro, MS, CCC-SLP, Lauren Timmons Sund, MS, CCC-SLP, Alaina Bassett, AuD, PhD, and Rebecca Lewis, AuD •

As clinicians, we’re aware of the risks of cell yell and increased vocal dose, but we might not be practicing what we preach to avoid it.

Dynamic USB microphones are robust, can be plugged directly into a USB port, and may be more directional. Built-in headsets move with you and are less bulky. An audio interface, on the other hand, while stationary and cumbersome, is a complex sound hub that allows for customization, as it heightens the ability to meticulously control audio signals to and from your computer, with independent control of input and output.

Environment Optimization. Be sure to choose a brightly lit room where your face can be clearly seen without interfering shadows. We rely on visual cues when communicating, and the ability of patients with hearing loss to see our mouths strongly improves their ability to understand us (PloS One. 2009;4:e4638).

Mitigating distracting sounds can also keep you from increasing volume louder than needed. Fans, hums, or buzzes impose a challenge on both you and your patients. Choose a quiet room in which to conduct appointments to avoid unwanted distraction for both parties.

Also consider smaller rooms that have soft, permeable furnishings to better absorb sound. Rooms with many reflective surfaces and high ceilings add reverberation that can make listening difficult. When these factors are paired with a poor, distant microphone on your end, patients receive a signal tainted with undesirable artifacts.

Telehealth, while different than in-person appointments in many ways, can exceed expectations with tools that allow patients greater access to information. The goal should be to send the cleanest signal possible so that our patients can take away the maximum amount of information during appointments.

John Parsons, Alaina Bassett, and Rebecca Lewis are audiologists with the Keck School of Medicine at USC; M. Eugenia Castro and Lauren Timmons Sund are speech-language pathologists with the Keck School of Medicine at USC.

Telehealth Best Practices

Given the rapid uptick in demand for and use of telehealth in recent months, it’s important to adapt with practices that benefit both you and your patients. Here are some tips to keep in mind when establishing your telehealth protocols:

  • Reduce background noise whenever possible.
  • Use a headset or headphones to improve audio.
  • Adjust lighting in the room to maximize visibility.
  • Minimize distractions.
  • Confirm a stable internet connection before the appointment.

Also, be aware of your own health throughout the day, as it can be easy to neglect your needs while caring for your patients. During extended telehealth sessions, take the following precautions: