At the Crossroads of Policy and Technological Logics: Audiologists Practicing Hearing-Aid Fitting in Israel

Logics are forces driven by stakeholders' expectations, identities, and values, and shape the professional field. Changes such as technological advancements, healthcare regulations, market demands, and an aging population can significantly impact the logics that organize professions and practices within a professional field. A qualitative research, conducted in Israel (January 2019-October 2021), explored the repercussions of these changes on the constellation of logics in the field of Israeli audiologists who practice hearing rehabilitation for adults using hearing aids. Data was collected using three focus-groups with sixteen hearing aid users, and interviews with five audiologists and nineteen other hearing rehabilitation stakeholders. Using grounded theory, data analysis revealed a dynamic constellation of logics that shapes audiologists' work environment: the logics of the profession, regulation, the private sector (local hearing-centers and employers), technology, and the hearing rehabilitation process. Impacted by regulatory paradigms over recent decades, competitive relationships have shifted the power balance among these logics. These conflicting logics challenge audiologists, who provide complex clinical services without having control over the conditions that organize their field of practice. This research provides new insights regarding a health profession that has been underexamined, highlighting key characteristics of its field and the processes shaping it. The study proposes the attributes of coexisting logics within a field, including the nature of their influence, the extent of that influence, and its intensity. These attributes may help to unpack changes occurring within a constellation of logics in a defined field over time and may also apply to other professions.