Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 276-10-.02 - Continuing Education

(1) Courses offered by the following are preapproved by the Board as means of acquiring the required continuing education hours for license renewal subject to the specific categories as outlined in paragraph 3 of this rule.

(a) International Institute for Hearing Instrument Studies

(b) International Hearing Society

(c) Georgia Society of Hearing Professionals

(d) American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

(e) Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association

(f) American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inc.

(g) Georgia Academy of Audiology

(h) College courses taken for credit or through official audit or seminars sponsored by such colleges

(i) Audiology Online (www.audiologyonline.com)

(j) American Academy of Audiology

(2) All educational opportunities other than those offered by various state approved/sanctioned academies, societies and associations require prior approval from the Board within thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled date of such program. Applications for approval must include sponsor, date, location, subjects, scope, instructors, qualifications of instructors, and classroom hours for each subject.

(3) Of the required hours, two (2) must be in the medical area (face-to-face only, NOT online), two (2) must be in jurisprudence (Georgia laws and rules) and/or ethics, two (2) must be in patient management. The remainder of hours may be obtained as product specific or on the topic of practice building. Effective January 1, 2016, a hearing aid dispenser must obtain a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing education per biennium.

(a) Online Hours: Of the required total continuing education hours, a total of six (6) hours must be obtained face-to-face, in person (of these 6 hours, the 2 required hours in the medical area MUST be obtained face-to-face, in person). Prior to December 31, 2015, the remaining eight (8) hours may be obtained via online means, however, NO more than four (4) hours may be obtained online in any given twenty-four (24) hour period. Effective January 1, 2016, a hearing aid dispenser must obtain a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing education per biennium. No more than fourteen (14) hours of the required twenty (20) may be obtained via online means with NO more than four (4) hours obtained online in any given twenty-four (24) hour period.

(b) Approved areas of study to satisfy the two (2) hours in the medical area are:

1. Anatomy and physiology

2. Diseases of the ear

3. Disease control

4. Otoscopy

5. Tinnitus

(c) Approved areas of study to satisfy the two (2) hours in patient management are:

1. Testing

2. Rehabilitation

3. Counseling

4. Impressions of the ear

(4) The method of reporting continuing education hours to the Board, IF selected for a Continuing Education Hours audit, shall be as follows:

(a) Each licensed hearing aid dispenser shall be responsible for maintaining certificates of attendance and any course descriptions, schedules, syllabuses, synopses or abstracts of course content for continuing education courses taken to satisfy the requirements for continuing education for a period of four (4) years from the date of attendance. Licensees who are audited shall submit the certificates of attendance along with the course descriptions. Additional verifications may be requested by the Board.

(b) Continuing Education Hours must be obtained within the two-year licensure cycle, i.e., between January 1st of every Even Numbered year and December 31st of the subsequent Odd Numbered year.

(c) The Board shall audit the required continuing education hours of a percentage of dispenser licensees for compliance with all rules and regulations. This percentage shall not be less than fifteen percent (15%) of the licensed Hearing Aid dispensers, randomly selected, each biennium renewal period.

(d) At the time of license renewal, each dispenser shall certify to the Georgia Board of Hearing Aid Dealers and Dispensers that he/she has completed the continuing education credits required for license renewal.

(e) In the event a licensee, who is audited, fails to submit certificates of continuing education attendance, and other documentation referred to in paragraph (4)(a) above, of having satisfied the continuing education requirements for license renewal, the application will not be processed until the continuing education audit is completed

(f) Current (licensed) members of the Board shall also be audited for each renewal cycle that they serve on the Board.

Notes

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 276-10-.02

O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-25, 43-20-6(d), 43-20-15(c).

Original Rule entitled "Hearing Instruments Institute" adopted as ER. 276-10-0.12-.02. F. Feb. 16, 1979; eff. Jan. 29, 1979, the date of adoption. Amended: Permanent Rule of same title adopted. F. May 16, 1979; eff. June 5, 1979. Repealed: New Rule, same title adopted. F. Nov. 15, 1979; eff. Dec. 5, 1979. Amended: Rule retitled "National Institute for Hearing Instruments Studies." F. July 24, 1981; eff. August 13, 1981. Repealed: New Rule entitled "Continuing Education" adopted. F. July 17, 1984; eff. August 6, 1984. Amended: F. June 24, 1988; eff. July 14, 1988. Amended: F. Dec. 2, 1997; eff. Dec. 22, 1997. Amended: F. Sept. 23, 1998; eff. Oct. 13, 1998. Repealed: New Rule, same title adopted. F. Sept. 28, 2001; eff. Oct. 18, 2001. Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F. Jan. 2, 2004; eff. Jan. 22, 2004. Repealed: New Rule entitled "Continuing Education Courses" adopted. F. July 15, 2009; eff. August 4, 2009. Repealed: New Rule entitled "Continuing Education" adopted. F. Sep. 17, 2012; eff. Oct. 7, 2012. Amended: F. Mar. 16, 2016; eff. Apr. 5, 2016. Amended: F. June 10, 2022; eff. June 30, 2022.