Prudent healthcare in practice: integration of audiology services into primary care

BACKGROUND: Swansea Bay University Health Board (SB UHB) has been trialling a primary care audiology pathway since 2016. The pathway enables patients with hearing, tinnitus or wax problems to be triaged directly to the audiology department acting as the first point of contact, freeing up general practitioners, Ear, Nose and Throat consultants and nurses to see patients with more complex health conditions. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency of the SB UHB primary care audiology pathway. PARTICULAR FOCUS: Clinical outcomes of patients seen through the SB UHB primary care audiology pathway. OVERVIEW: The vast majority of patients seen through the SB UHB primary care audiology pathway are managed without the need for onward referral (≥87%).