BEFORE YOU START
  • Attendance alone does not establish that a usable reference test exists.
  • Ask the receiving clinician what records are needed and how to transfer them securely.
  • Agree how missing records affect the plan before describing a visit as repeat monitoring.

Find out what the clinical team needs

In hearing monitoring, a baseline is the reference that a professional uses when comparing later hearing measurements. Ask the receiving clinician which earlier records they need and what they would consider suitable for comparison. A date, a photograph of part of a graph, or the word “passed” may leave important questions unanswered.

Request an example of the information needed, using a blank document. Discuss how to verify whose record it is, whether the full report is available, and whether the earlier service identified its method and testing conditions. Do not extract numbers from a graph into your own spreadsheet to create a replacement baseline.

Use a short handover record

Have your clinical and privacy contacts agree on an authorized way to request and transfer existing records. Keep clinical documents with the designated recipient. HR can usually organize the handover with administrative statuses such as “requested,” “received by clinic,” and “awaiting clinician’s decision.”

Example request to the previous provider: “Our receiving clinical team will contact your records officer about transferring prior audiometry for the participating employees. Please confirm your records contact, authorization process, available report format, secure transfer method, and how the receiving clinician can ask questions.”

Agree what happens when the earlier test is missing

Ask the clinician for a plan for three situations: a usable reference is available, an earlier record exists but cannot be interpreted reliably, or no record can be located. The professional should decide what can be compared and how to describe any limitations. Do not relabel the first file you find as the baseline.

Before announcing new appointments, ask the clinician to confirm the purpose of each group’s visit, timing, preparation, and route for results. If a comparison prompts another clinical review, the clinician should explain the interpretation to the employee. Your scheduling team only needs the next action appropriate to its role.

Sources & further reading

Confirm clinical instructions and Philippine workplace requirements with your responsible professionals. Overseas sources provide technical background.