Information for medical professionals
Referrals & Self-referrals welcomed
Mackay Hearing welcomes referrals for hearing services from medical, allied health and other professionals, such as:
- General Practitioners
- Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists
- Speech Pathologists
- Hospitals, child health clinics, other health facilities
- Teachers, child care workers
- other professionals
Referrals are appreciated, but self-referrals are also welcome.
Referral forms
Referral forms are provided below for your conveinience.
Please fax completed referral forms to 4829 4463.
If you would like a pad of hard copy referral forms, please contact our friendly staff directly on (07) 4952 4649 or email us at listening@mackayhearing.com.au.
Our services
Hearing services for adults
Hearing assessments
- Comprehensive diagnostic adult hearing assessment – Includes pure tone audiometry (air and bone conduction), speech discrimination, tympanometry, acoustic reflex assessment, otoacoustic emissions and otoscopy. Counselling for ear and hearing health as required. Referrals to exclude hearing loss and underlying retrocochlear pathology or when a patient reports hearing difficulties, poor speech understanding or tinnitus.
- Comprehensive diagnostic hearing assessment – for employment, aviation, police, diving, military, work cover and coal board medicals. Medical-legal reports supported by comprehensive assessment.
- Free services through the government hearing program – Mackay Hearing is accredited to provide services through the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program (HSP). Eligible pensioners and veterans can receive comprehensive diagnostic hearing assessments and annual reviews for free under the HSP.
- We aim to have comprehensive reports to the client’s nominated GP within 24 hours of the Mackay Hearing consultation.
Hearing rehabilitation – hearing aids
- Hearing aid trials and fittings – Wide range of latest technology hearing aids from several suppliers. Variety of behind-the-ear (BTE) and custom (‘in-the-ear’) styles and technology levels available. Solutions for specific requirements (eg. connectivity, tinnitus support, CROS devices for single-sided deafness) available.
- Free / subsidised services through the government hearing program – Mackay Hearing is accredited to provide services through the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program (HSP). Under the HSP, eligible pensioners and veterans can be fitted with entry level hearing aids for free, or at a subsidised cost if upgraded technology or extra services are selected by the client.
- Hearing aid maintenance plans – available for clients fitted with hearing devices from another provider.
Hearing rehabilitation – implantable devices
- Cochlear implants – initial counselling and candidacy assessments, comprehensive pre-surgery counselling, cochlear implant switch-on and mapping, ongoing reviews, adjustments, training and support.
- Bone conduction implants – initial counselling and candidacy assessments, soft-band device trials, comprehensive pre-surgery counselling, device programming and fitting, ongoing reviews, adjustments, training and support.
Hearing rehabilitation – other
- Assistive listening device fittings – wide range of latest technology assistive listening device, such as FM systems, infra-red TV devices, vibrating alarm systems, vibrating alarm clocks and others.
- Full auditory rehabilitation training programs.
- Clinic-based counselling and support – hearing strategies and tactics; importance of hearing protection; benefits of hearing rehabilitation; risks of auditory depravation; hearing rehabilitation options.
- Peer-based support – “Hear With You Mackay” peer based support group for people managing hearing loss. Meetings include structured content (eg. “Active Communication Education (ACE)” programs and other evidence based support programs) and informal networking.
Hearing services for children
Hearing assessments
- Comprehensive diagnostic child hearing assessment – Suitable for children between about 8 to 16 years (dependent on developmental level). Includes pure tone audiometry (air and bone conduction), speech discrimination, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions and otoscopy. Counselling for ear and hearing health as required. Referrals to exclude hearing loss, establish middle ear function or cochlear status.
- Diagnostic child hearing assessment – Suitable for children between about 3 to 7 years (dependent on developmental level). Includes play audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions and otoscopy. Counselling for ear and hearing health as required. Referrals to exclude hearing loss, establish middle ear function or cochlear status.
- Diagnostic infant hearing assessment – Suitable for children between about 9 months to 2 years (dependent on developmental level). Includes Visual Response Orientated Audiometry (VROA), tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions and otoscopy. Counselling for ear and hearing health as required. Referrals to exclude hearing loss, establish middle ear function or cochlear status.
- We aim to have comprehensive reports forwarded to the client’s nominated GP within 24 hours of the Mackay Hearing consultation.
Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) assessment and treatment
- Comprehensive diagnostic CAPD assessment – for children from 6 years.
- CAPD treatment programs – specifically designed computer programs proven to improve memory and address spatial processing difficulties.
- Fitting of assistive listening devices – fitting of Dynamic Sound Field Systems to classrooms and individual FM systems to children to improve signal-to-noise ratio.
- We aim to have comprehensive reports forwarded to the client’s nominated GP within 1 week of the Mackay Hearing consultation.
Tinnitus assessment and support
- Tinnitus matching – determination of tinnitus loudness and pitch and comparison to hearing thresholds to determine severity of tinnitus.
- Tinnitus impact – determination of extent of impact tinnitus is having on clients.
- Tinnitus management / support – counselling on tinnitus management and coping strategies and general support.
General
- Cerumen (ear wax) management – safe and gentle cerumen removal and counselling on safe and effective ear cleaning methods.
- Custom fit ear plugs – swim plugs, noise plugs, sleep plugs and musician’s plugs moulded to shape of client’s ears.