Vestibular Surveys are Coming

Alan Desmond
October 15, 2013

I am currently sitting on a plane traveling from Los Angeles to my home near Charlotte, NC. This past week, I attended an American Medical Association meeting where we discussed a very important issue: vestibular code surveys. The American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and will be surveying Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes related to vestibular testing this November to assess the audiologists professional work value for each procedure. If you perform vestibular procedures, it is imperative that you take a few minutes and fill out this survey. At the end of this blog (below) you will find the message from AAA and ASHA regarding how you can participate and a link to get started. This week’s blog is short, but it is important.

Message from AAA and ASHA:

RUC Survey on Vestibular Procedures —Your Input is Essential

The profession of audiology needs your help! The American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and will be surveying Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes related to vestibular testing this November to assess the audiologists professional work value for each procedure. Professional work value includes factors such as mental effort and judgment, technical skill, and psychological stress. Your participation in the survey process is essential to estimate the professional work and time necessary to perform vestibular testing.

This survey data will be submitted to a multi-specialty committee of the American Medical Association (AMA), which will provide a recommendation to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on a suggested professional work value for each of the procedure codes.

We are requesting that you commit your time to complete surveys related to vestibular testing. In order to participate, you will need to:
•Go to the online form and provide your name and e-mail address by Friday, November 1, 2013. By completing the form, you are volunteering to participate in the survey process.
•Complete the survey(s) in November. The surveys will be sent from [email protected].

Note: To participate, you should be familiar with these procedures and perform them at least occasionally.

Please share this message and web links with your colleagues to enlist their help with these important surveys. We need as many participants as possible to ensure that the data are valid.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to help. Your input is sincerely appreciated.

Kadyn Williams, AuD
Chair, Practice Policy Advisory Council
American Academy of Audiology

Stuart Trembath, MA, CCC-A
Chair, Health Care Economics Committee
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

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