Practice standards for the foundation for all areas of clinical practice. Most professions established their practice standards many years ago and update them regularly to ensure the standards are current. Practice standards, along with clinical guidelines, help providers to have a quick reference for their clinical protocols and decision-making without needing to periodically search through new evidence and update their practices accordingly. They also serve as a guide for clinical educators to update their curriculum and ensure that they are teaching to the most current evidence.

Practice standards also offer a defense of the profession. These may come from many different sources, including encroachments on scope of practice or law suits involving practice methods or outside entities failing to recognize the necessity and value of audiology services. A well-designed standard, based in evidence and published only after widespread review from the entire profession, helps defend against most threats to the profession.