Desperate for AuD Project Ideas!!

[QuarterLifeCrisis]

I'm a second year student in my AuD program and I am really struggling to come up with ideas for my AuD project. I have had a few ideas, but one of them is too complicated for an AuD project and the other, case studies and literature review of cases of misophonia and then recommended treatment protocol based on the literature review, feels like it would be difficult to a) find people who have misophonia either in the literature and/or people in real life to talk to and b) find information about treatments attempted with these individuals. I'm also interested in hyperacusis, too. Other than those ideas, I'm kind of at a loss because I'm basically open to most anything.

The project can either be an actual study, case study with literature review, survey, literature review, or a clinical project. I'm really more inclined to want to do case study or literature review, but at this point I'm not picky. The timeline for the project is approximately 3.5 semesters (the project should be able to be completed and presented by March/April of 2017).

I would appreciate any project ideas or topics/areas of inquiry that you think need further exploration!

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[TheEarDoc]

Do you have any teaching staff who are currently doing research whose lab you could work in on a project? That's how many schools handle the research requirement.

 

[QuarterLifeCrisis]

The project is basically supposed to be an independent project run by the student. I have to choose a faculty advisor to help me, but I haven't chosen an advisor because I don't have any ideas about what I want to do.

 

[TheEarDoc]

The project is basically supposed to be an independent project run by the student. I have to choose a faculty advisor to help me, but I haven't chosen an advisor because I don't have any ideas about what I want to do.

Most programs like I said have faculty that do research and usually the students contact a faculty member to do research in their lab. The student helps design the study and runs it and does all the data analysis with the assistance of their faculty advisor.

You don't have to have a strong interest in the project, just someone who has a project they want completed and will take you in their lab.

This has been one of my biggest gripes about the AuD is that many programs put way too much emphasis on the research project in the 3rd year when they should be using the 3rd year for more clinic time since the AuD is a clinical degree and not a PhD. If you cannot be a seasoned reader/professional able to read scholarly peer reviewed literature and draw from it by your 3rd year in a graduate program, then you should not be able to graduate. A year long project (as many programs do) is just a waste of time clinically for students who do not wish to pursue a PhD. End rant.

With all the ICD 10 hubbub why not design a survey to send out to audiologists who are practicing to see how they felt about ICD 10 codes.

some questions you might ask:
1. Do you feel ICD 10 being more specific is of any benefit to audiology as a profession?
2. Do you feel ICD 10 has any limitations when it comes to the field of audiology?
3. Do you feel your facility provided adequate training for you to be ready for ICD 10 coding?
4. Do you have coding assistance for ICD 10 at your facility when performing coding?
5. Do you perform your own coding/superbill or does a coding office do this?
6. Do you feel the professional organizations (AAA, ASHA, ADA, etc.) were helpful in your transition to ICD 10?
7. Have you had any difficulties with 3rd party insurance providers rejecting ICD 10 codes?
8. Have you had any difficulties with 3rd party insurance providers rejecting ICD 10 codes?
9. Have you had any difficulties with 3rd party insurance providers rejecting ICD 10 codes for hearing aid dispensing/follow-up?

That would be a good start. If you could get a survey like this out to 100's of audiologists it would be interesting to see the data.

 

[QuarterLifeCrisis]

I completely agree with you about the ridiculousness of this whole Doc Project thing. I feel like it's a last half-baked attempt to stick more research in where it is unneeded. If I don't know how to read studies and judge their quality at this point then all the time I've spent in school is wasted.

On the other hand, thank you for the idea! I will have to look into the IDC 10 codes a little more to get myself oriented and familiar with them. I really appreciate your help!