Medical Referral Criteria and Follow-up Flashcards
7 cards from real CAOHC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medical Referral Criteria and Follow-up flashcards as text
While a worker awaits the outcome of a physician evaluation following an STS, what should the OHC ensure regarding hearing protection?
Answer: The worker continues or is newly fitted with appropriate hearing protection devices
Hearing conservation measures, including HPD use, should continue or be initiated during the evaluation period to prevent further hearing loss.
Under what circumstance does OSHA's hearing conservation standard permit the use of age correction (AADR) when evaluating audiometric results?
Answer: Only when calculating whether an STS may be work-related
OSHA permits age correction specifically when determining whether an STS is work-related, using the AADR tables, but it is optional and not mandatory for all comparisons.
A worker refuses to attend the physician appointment arranged following an STS. What is the most appropriate action for the OHC?
Answer: Document the worker's refusal in the audiometric record and notify the appropriate supervisor
When a worker refuses a referral, the OHC must document the refusal thoroughly and notify the appropriate management — the OHC cannot force compliance but must protect the program's integrity.
Who bears ultimate responsibility for interpreting audiograms and making medical determinations within an occupational hearing conservation program?
Answer: The supervising audiologist or physician overseeing the program
OHCs administer audiometric tests under the supervision of an audiologist or physician, who holds final authority for audiogram interpretation and medical decisions.
An OHC is establishing a new hearing conservation program at a small employer site. No physician referral protocol exists yet. What is the correct course of action?
Answer: Work with the employer and a supervising audiologist or physician to establish a formal referral protocol before testing begins
A formal referral protocol must be established in collaboration with a supervising audiologist or physician prior to initiating audiometric testing to ensure appropriate follow-up.
A worker referred to an audiologist receives prescription hearing aids following evaluation. What does this indicate regarding the OHC's role in work-relatedness determination?
Answer: Work-relatedness determination is a separate clinical and legal matter outside the OHC's scope
Determining whether hearing loss is work-related involves clinical, legal, and regulatory analysis that falls under the physician or audiologist's authority, not the OHC's.
Which of the following best describes the follow-up action required when a worker's revised baseline audiogram is established after a confirmed STS?
Answer: Future STS determinations are made by comparing annual audiograms to the revised baseline
Once a revised baseline is established following an STS, all future annual audiograms are compared to this new baseline to detect further threshold shifts.