Are your expensive hearing aids tuned correctly?

Like prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids need to be prescriptively tuned for your hearing loss. 

Unfortunately, the results of one Consumer Reports survey, along with numerous research papers, suggests that roughly two thirds of all hearing aids fit in the US may not be set correctly. 

In addition, much research also suggests that the use of hearing aid acoustic verification tools (such as probe microphone real ear) may be used to correct these fitting errors.  A multitude of studies also suggest that only about 20% of hearing aid fitting professionals use verification tools routinely.  We feel this is a very concerning issue as not only are hearing aids expensive, but your hearing and connection to the world around you are at stake.

About Real Ear Verification

Probe microphone real ear (or real ear for short) is a tool used when fitting hearing aids. It utilizes a thin tube which is inserted in the canal between the tip of the hearing aid and the ear drum. This tube extends out of the ear canal and leads to a microphone on a computer. This computer gives the hearing practitioner a graphical display of your hearing loss along with the amplification of the hearing aids being programmed.

“Without this information, we are forced to make choices based on guesses, hunches, or clinical intuition, instead of data. This is certainly not something we want to do if we are truly interested in providing evidence-based services.”

PhD audiologists Muller, Ricketts, and Bentler

If this image of the real ear procedure does not look familiar, then you are probably among the estimated 80% of hearing aid wearers that never had this performed.

Some reasons cited by hearing aid practitioners for not using real ear equipment are:

  • The expense of the tool.
  • Lack of insurance reimbursement for performing the measure.
  • Lack of knowledge of how to use the tool even if it is available.
  • The extra time it takes to use perform the measure.

Regardless of the obstacles, we feel our clients are worth going this extra mile.

In-House Repair & Diagnostic Services

Our experience and equipment allows us to repair roughly 80% of all hearing aids in our office.

In office hearing instrument repairs often take 15 minutes depending on the extent of the problem. Longer repairs may take a couple of hours but can normally be completed on the same day. If we have to send a hearing aid out for repair, then repair time is usually 5-7 business days.

Repairs handled in office include but are not limited to:

  • Hearing aid shell and ear-mold modifications
  • Programming adjustments
  • New parts such as tubing, receivers, battery doors etc.
  • Cleanings
  • Hearing aid power consumption testing
  • Acoustic verification of hearing aid amplification
  • Distortion testing of the hearing aid’s sound quality
  • Hearing aid directional microphone testing
  • Hearing aid noise reduction testing
Call us for a full description of our repair services »

Repair Turn Around

In office hearing instrument repairs often take less than 15 minutes depending on the extent of the problem.  Longer repairs may take a couple of hours but can normally be completed on the same day.  If we have to send a hearing aid out for repair, then repair time can take as little as five to seven business days.

Loaner Hearing Aids

If a hearing aid is not serviceable in office, then we have a wide array of loaner hearing instruments while yours is in the shop.

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