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Audiology practice update stalls after medical groups warn broader test‑ordering authority could risk misdiagnosis
Summary
SB118 sought to update the Audiology Practice Act to let audiologists order certain diagnostic tests and clarify routine earcare, but the committee rejected the bill after ENT physicians warned ordering tests without broader medical training could lead to misdiagnoses and unnecessary expense.
Senate Bill 118, presented by Representative Bentley with testimony from Dr. Kelly Linton (a licensed audiologist), would update Arkansas law to align audiology practice with contemporary doctoral training and to permit audiologists to order medically‑necessary diagnostic tests (e.g., imaging and certain lab tests), perform cerumen and foreign‑body removals, and carry out health screenings.
Why it matters: Supporters said modern audiology doctoral training (AuD) equips practitioners to identify conditions that require further medical evaluation and that allowing limited test ordering would speed diagnoses for…
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