Self-Assessment Questions

This section provides a review. Mark each statement on the Answer Sheet according to the factual materials contained in this issue and the opinions of the authors.

Article One (pp. 103–119)

1. Between 2015 and 2050, the estimated number of Americans experiencing hearing difficulties annually increases by how many million?

   • 0.12

   • 0.5

   • 0.76

   • 1.01

2. New evidence suggests that despite the forthcoming growth in older Americans because of the Baby Boomer generation, the U.S. hearing aid adoption rate is expected to remain unchanged. The primary reason for this expected trend is

   • hearing aid prices are expected to increase

   • proliferation in the use of personal sound amplification products

   • milder degrees of hearing difficulty experienced in this population

   • none of the above

3. To understand reasons for the nominal growth in U.S. hearing aid adoption rates, researchers have utilized models from psychology and sociology. In this article, which model is not discussed?

   • Theory of Reasoned Action

   • Health Belief Model

   • Medical and social model of disability

   • Transtheoretical model

4. What characteristics are quantified in the consumer-decision model that are otherwise not considered in the other three models discussed in this article?

   • Assessment of short- and long-term behavior modification

   • Incorporation of social, interpersonal, and contextual issues

   • Acknowledges the responsibility of the health care provider to reduce barriers

   • All of the above

5. What is the most important stage of the consumer-decision model?

   • Need recognition

   • Search for information

   • Information processing

   • Prepurchase-alternative evaluation and purchase intent

6. Purchase intent stems from perceived value, which depends on

   • only the individual's perception of the quality of a product or service

   • only the individual's perception of price paid for a product or service

   • the interaction of quality and price on need recognition

   • none of the above

   Article Two (pp. 120–136)

7. Interventional audiology is defined as

   • the delivery of hearing care services to patients at an earlier stage of their hearing loss

   • using techniques that intervene to slow the progression of hearing loss

   • sustaining a practice through the development of new intervention techniques

   • building patient confidence in a practice through the use of counseling and intervention techniques

8. According to Bakke, hearing loss is a triple threat to patients. Which of the following is not one of those threats?

   • The hearing loss itself as a disability

   • The interference of the hearing loss in receiving care for other medical conditions

   • The comorbidity of hearing loss with cognitive deficits

   • The economic instability due to the high cost of treatment for hearing loss

9. A paradox associated with hearing loss is

   • the cost of options available to treat hearing loss are not proportional to the benefits

   • the number and extent of services available for adults with hearing loss compared to those available for children

   • the inverse relationship between number of interventions for hearing loss and the long term outcomes

   • none of the above

10. Which of the following is not one of the four pillars of an interventional audiology strategy?

    • Exert more social pressure on at-risk patients.

    • Engage younger patients in self-testing and prevention of hearing loss.

    • Use patient-centered care as an operational strategy for practice enhancement.

    • Leverage changes in health care to partner with primary care.

11. Effective communication with the medical community is embodied in which traits?

    • Visibility, credibility, and authenticity

    • Professionalism, timeliness, and value

    • Education, organization, and encouragement

    • Professionalism, awareness, and referral

    Article Three (pp. 137–147)

12. Professional service fees used to calculate the cost of doing business include all of the following except

    • the cost of the product (e.g., hearing aid)

    • the salaries for the audiologists and staff

    • the time to provide follow-up care

    • rent and overhead

13. Itemization for the purposes of dispensing amplification devices is defined as

    • listing each component of the services and devices on a hearing aid purchase agreement

    • placing each component of the devices and services on each line of the CMS 1500 billing form

    • both A and B

    • neither A nor B

14. To alleviate concerns that patients may not return for services if they are expected to pay, the audiologist could

    • offer an extended warranty that covers the cost of return visits

    • use e-mail and regular mail to send reminders about the importance of follow-up services

    • negotiate reduced charges for followup visits at the time the devices are dispensed

    • schedule all follow-up visits at the time the devices are dispensed

15. One way the rate of return for hearing aids can be reduced is by

    • the use of subjective and objective measures during the evaluation and fitting stages of the process

    • lowering the price of the hearing aids to a point that patients appreciate the value

    • charging for follow-up visits

    • letting patients know up front that they will not receive a full refund for the device or services

16. Charging for individual services or products (i.e., itemization or unbundling) allows a practice to

    • demonstrate value for the services associated with the process

    • provide services for patients who purchased the devices elsewhere

    • both A and B

    • neither A nor B

    Article Four (pp. 148–160)

17. The charge matrix methodology is based on

    • charging a patient based on the complexity of his or her needs

    • assessing a patient's ability to pay prior to rendering services

    • charging a patient based on his or her degree of hearing loss

    • charging a patient based on the complexity of the device dispensed

18. Evaluation and Management codes are used by physicians to charge patients based on the scope of services provided during an office visit. Which of the following is not considered in the Evaluation and Management codes?

    • Type of patient: new versus established

    • Setting where the services are provided: outpatient, hospital

    • Level of service: history, physical, medical decision making

    • Time to provide the service: short, intermediate, or long; face-to-face

19. The value of services provided to patients is based on

    • both the cost and the charge

    • the quality of services in combination with the charge

    • the out-of-pocket cost over time

    • the difference between the actual charge to the patient and the cost of the product from the manufacturer

20. The fee-for-service payment methodology includes all of the following except that

    • it reimburses at contracted rates

    • it is based on Procedural Terminology codes

    • it is the method used to bill third parties

    • it is used for elective and nonelective procedures and devices

21. Advantages of the matrix model include all except

    • it allows patients to pay for only the services provided

    • it provides a means for third parties to understand the value of the services associated with audiology services

    • it assigns value to the services provided by the audiologist

    • it reduces the perceived cost of the device to the patient