AUDIOLOGY & SLP MATERIALs

This chapter deals to a large extent with behavioral tests used for identifying the anatomical location (“site”) of the abnormality (“lesion”) causing the patient’s problems—those traditionally referred to as   site-of-lesion tests . At this juncture it is wise to distinguish between medical and audiological diagnosis. Medical diagnosis involves determining the location of the abnormality and also its etiology, which involves the nature and cause of the pathology, and how it pertains to the patient’s health. In this sense, audiological tests contribute to medical diagnosis in at least two ways, depending on who sees the patient first. When the patient sees the audiologist first, they can act as screening tests to identify the possibility of conditions that indicate the need for referral to a physician. If the patient has been referred to the audiologist by a physician, then these tests provide information that assist in arriving at a medical diagnosis. In contrast, audiological d...