Modern Hearing Aids, what you need to know to make an educated choice.

Modern digital hearing aids are complex electronic devices, really micro computers dedicated to processing sound. Whilst it is a good idea to research the features of the aid and at least understand the rudimentary, it is easy to get bogged down in the tech speak and the Manufacturer's marketing blurb.

The easiest way to understand hearing aids and to answer what they will do for you and how they will help you in your daily life, is to equate the level of technology of the aid, the age of the platform and your lifestyle needs.

First off the age of the platform and the level of technology. Every manufacturer designs and releases a new platform from time to time. The platform is based on the chipsets or microprocessors in the aids. They will release the new top end aid with this platform and then the downgrades. These are the levels of technology within the platform, which are basically split into high, medium, low and basic.

The best way to understand this is to equate these levels to lifestyle needs.

High: Busy professional, young person with active lifestyle, old person with active lifestyle, child.

Mid: Most of the rest of us, active generally but activities tend to be in not so riotous settings.

Low: More Sedentary lifestyle, occasionally active but mostly home life and family gatherings.

Basic: According to my wife this is me, I dispute this but nevertheless, for somebody who wants to listen to the TV, Radio, take phone calls and occasional visitors.

So the three questions you need answered are, how old is the platform? How does the aid fit in the technology levels? Who makes the aid? Armed with these answers you can then do some research to see if what you have been told is true and how the aid fits into your lifestyle.

This brings us to your lifestyle, be honest about your lifestyle needs, equate them with your budget and then make a decision on the purchase. Each level of technology will assist you to hear better, absolutely no doubt. The key is where they will help you to hear better, what sound situations.

My best advice is to buy the best you can afford and buy two if you need two. Two cheaper aids will help you hear better than one expensive one. Always buy an aid from the latest platform from any given manufacturer. Once you research the platform age and tech level of the aids you can make an educated choice. You should also think clearly about the type of aid whether ITE (in the ear) or BTE (behind the ear).

Whilst the emotional choice tends to be the discreet in the ear model, that may well not be the right aid for you. I would say in fact for reliability a behind the ear aid is probably a better choice for several reasons. It will be more reliable in the long term and probably last a lot longer, once your dog, baby, cat doesn't eat it. Once that choice is completed and a purchase is made, you can then have realistic expectations about what the devices will help you accomplish. Then to look after them read the following.

Choice and maintenance of hearing devices

2010 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Expo | Boston, MA

2010 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Expo | Boston, MA 

2010 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Expo | Boston, MA

Widex will participate in the 2010 conference in Boston, visit them at booth 1265.

WOULD YOU SPEND TWO AND A HALF GRAND ON A FLAT SCREEN TV AND WHEEL IT INTO YOUR SAUNA EVERY DAY AND RUB BABY OIL INTO IT?Taking care of your Hearing Aids and why you should choose carefully.

After parting with probably a large chunk of your hard earned cash for hearing device, it makes real sense to take care of them to the best of your ability. The daily care for hearing instruments, whether BTEs or custom ITEs is relatively similar. At the end of every day, take the aids off and open the battery door, opening the battery door allows the battery breathe and conserves power.

In the case of a BTE, wipe the Aid case and the mould with a dry cloth. Check the sound bore of the mould and the tubing to see if any cerumen (wax) detritus or moisture has built up during the day. If you notice some, separate the mould and the aid and use a puffer ball to dislodge any foreign object. This should also force out any large beads of condensation. The mould and tube can then be placed in a soak box. A soak box is a small tub that can be filled with warm water and a wash tab. This will remove any bacteria or stubborn cerumen. When you remove it the next morning, it is important to dry the mould and tubing thoroughly, again the puffer ball will help here.

It is a good idea to place the BTE instrument in a dry box overnight. A dry box is a small tub which will hold a drying Pastille and your aid, overnight it will remove any moisture that has built up over the days use. Moisture is your enemy, while manufacturers take every pain to ensure that hearing aid circuits are protected, nothing and I do mean nothing is foolproof. A build up of moisture can wreak havoc with the working of an aid. It can cause weakened amplification and the failure of components within the aid.

With an ITE just wipe the case with a dry cloth to clean it off, then check the wax cap. With the brush supplied and holding the ITE with the wax cap facing the floor, gently brush the wax cap area. Then gently brush the microphone covers. These actions will remove any detritus that has gathered during the day. It is a good idea to place the aid in a dry box overnight particularly during the summer. Moisture again is a huge issue, particularly for a custom aid, because of its placement in the ear they are prone to moisture build up in susceptible ears.

Whilst I understand the emotional choice that is made when a Patient picks an ITE, in practice I always advised them to go for a BTE. You are about to spend a large amount of money on a sensitive electronic device that will change your life for the better. Although Manufacturers take every pain to try and protect it, it can not be hermetically sealed, it needs to remain open to the ear to work. The ear is a hostile place, it is warm wet and oily, I ask you this question and I appeal to you to answer it honestly and think about the ramifications.

WOULD YOU SPEND TWO AND A HALF GRAND ON A FLAT SCREEN TV AND WHEEL IT INTO YOUR SAUNA EVERY DAY AND RUB BABY OIL INTO IT?

I would assume most of you have answered no, so why do you do it to your hearing aid, your one link to a more normal lifestyle? The one thing that allows you a fuller enjoyment of your day to day life? Go for a BTE, they get smaller and smaller every day, with thin tube applications they are almost more discreet than an ITE. Make the right choice for you, but make it knowing all the facts.

Geoff

Otovation OTOpod M2, exciting new wireless Audiometer

INTRODUCING OTOPOD M2
The OTOPod M2 is a wireless and truly portable diagnostic audiometer and fitting solution.
The device's small size and elegant form combined with wireless operation make it convenient to use for both the hearing care professional and the patient. The OTOPod is also great for use outside the office in a domiciliary setting, where the comfortable handheld unit with integrated patient response button is ideal. The device and accessories can be contained within a small over shoulder camera type bag which is included. 
Plus, the OTOPod can be used with a variety of transducers, including TDH-39, EAR 5A inserts, and Sennheiser circumaurals. The transducers connect to the OTOPod with a mini-DIN connector for a nice secure connection. The M2 can be operated within NOAH to provide a complete diagnostic testing and fitting process for the following Widex hearing aid families: Passion 440, mind 440, mind 330, Passion 115, Passion 110, Passion 105, Inteo, AIKIA, Flash, REAL, Senso, Bravo, and Bravissimo.
OTOPOD FEATURES
• NOAH® 3 Compatible - Symphony NOAH Module and Widex's Compass 5.0 Software
• Air and bone conduction and pre-recorded speech testing
• Talk forward and back feature for sound booth use
• Wireless operation up to 3 meters (10 ft.) from your PC
• Advanced auto test features for air and bone conduction testing
• Fully customizable testing with dozens of parameters
• Print full-page reports to your local or network printer
• Use on rechargeable AA battery power or with power supply
• Highly portable, quick setup and easy to use
• Includes our OTONet wireless adapter for communicating with the PC
• Programs a wide range of Widex hearing aids

For a fuller overview of the features and the data sheets and standards of the OTOPod, please point your browser to www.otovation.com.





Otovation OTOPod M2 with Bone and Inserts.

Adjusting to hearing aids, the “oh my god that’s what the world sounds like?” moment.

When first fitted with hearing aids, there is a period of adjustment that varies from Patient to Patient. During the  initial period it will be very different to what you have been used to. During this period you should slowly build up your use of the aids from one or two hours a day to all day over a period of 14 days.

After having a untreated hearing loss, usually for up to ten years before you sought treatment, the most difficult part of adjusting to hearing aids is learning to listen. This may seem a stupid statement, we listen all the time? that may be true, but there is a real difference between listening and actively hearing.

While wearing the hearing aids you will hear sounds that you may not have heard for several years, and sounds that you have been aware of in a new completely different manner. It will take your brain sometime to become familiar with this sound information again. It usually takes from about six to eight weeks for the average brain to get used to this new method of hearing.

However this is the beginning, your appreciation of sounds which you hear will continue to increase incrementally over a six to twelve month period. However this varies from Patient to Patient, in certain circumstances, the initial adjustment period may take up to 6 months depending on the age of the patient and the condition of the brain.

It would be a good rule of thumb though to allow roughly six to eight weeks to become completely comfortable with any hearing aid. The biggest surprise to most new users is how they suddenly perceive their own voice. Those who suffer from extreme loss of hearing often to not understand that they are supposed to hear their own voice when they are talking.

It may seem strange to these individuals to actually hear their own voice while speaking and can actually be disturbing to the users on some occasions. For a first time user of hearing aids it can be either a moment of illumination or a confusing experience when they first hears their own voice clearly.

Most commonly, à new hearing aid wearer may think they’re shouting because their voice sounds louder than it normally has in the recent past. They may notice certain background and environmental noises that they were previously unaware of due to the level of their hearing loss.  All of these new sounds may seem horrible to the person. The key is that a new user is counselled to understand that these sounds are the sound of life. 

Further, these sounds will fade in importance to them as time progresses and the natural function of the brain begins to return. The brain has to now identify the sound, choose to ignore or listen to it and focus on picking out the speech from the background noise.  Another adjustment that needs to be made is not with the new user but with their family and  acquaintances. They will now have to remember that they no longer need to speak as loudly in the presence of the hearing aid wearer.

There are many different aspects of getting a new hearing aid – some of them positive, and some of them negative. Those who are around someone with a new hearing aid need to remember to employ patience as everyone becomes acclimatized to the situation. Most hearing-impaired people can benefit from hearing aids, although there are some who may not get on so well.

Many factors, including the severity of the hearing loss, the length of time without auditory stimulation, attitude and age of the patient, and the patient’s ability to interpret what they hear will have an impact on how well the patient adapts to the aid and ultimately how  successful treatment with a hearing aid will be.

The most important point to remember is getting a hearing aid does not make everything perfect, nor will it solve all your problems in every situation, but it definitely will improve your ability to communicate with other people by being able to improving your ability to hear them

Medical Record Card

The Widex medical record card will be released under the Widex Associate Programme soon. We have designed the card in order that an Audioligist can use the card to record all the information that is needed to meet regulatory requirements.

The layout of the card is such that it leads an audiologist through a consultation in a logical manner through to a demonstration conclusion. It will prompt the user to ask all the questions that are required and to follow all the steps.

The card can be used as a simple record and prompt tool or with some further training and explanation of the underlying strategies, it can be used as a powerful consultative tool. Using it in the secondary manner will allow you to connect with your Patient making their level of understanding clearer to you. It will also give you clues to the stage of the Patient journey they are at.

It will help you clarify and give them the answers you may not otherwise know were being asked. It will also allow you to meet and slowly overcome objections in a non threatening manner.
No matter which way you use it, as a skim through prompt and record or as a more in depth consultative tool, we think it will make your practice easier.

Geoff

Client Orientated Scale of Improvement, COSI and its uses for your practice.

The COSI has started to become an integral part of best practice in the last few years. What exactly is the COSI and why is it good for your Practice? The COSI is simply a very well designed piece of A4 paper or a form in one of many Audiological Software's. It is present in Noah and also in the Widex Compass software. The COSI is a place to record a Patient’s problem situations or lifestyle needs and then trace their ongoing success with a prescribed hearing system. Many Dispensers shy away from the COSI because they are not sure where it will fit either in their consultation or follow up nor do they understand how it may be the most powerful tool that they have ever used on several different and important levels.

At it's most simple level the COSI is used to record the difficulties that a Patient has in their day to day life. The crux is how you as a professional achieve this and if you use the golden opportunity that this gives to emotionally connect with the Patient. The COSI can allow you to connect with a Patient, gain acknowledgement of lifestyle impact from that Patient, manage a Patients expectations and gain agreement on a set strategy for dealing with the core issues.

So, how is this simple form going to achieve all this? Simply put, you use it to ask pertinent questions and record the answers. I hear you say I ask the problem areas already, you may, but do you ask in the right way, do you ask enough of the right questions and most importantly do you listen? The questions you need to ask need to be open ended, crucially you also have to remember that the answers you are being given may never have been voiced before. You may feel that you have heard them a thousand times, but this Patient may never have uttered them before. So do them the courtesy of listening.

Ask, “where are the areas that you have problems, the areas I would like to talk to you about are the areas that you feel cause you most problems in your daily lives and relationships. We can record five areas, but really we will concentrate mostly on three of them”. When they give you the areas, dig deeper, “so you say at the family table, who are you seated with and what type of conversation are we talking about, animated, quiet? What exactly are the problems you suffer?!

Dig deep, keep asking those open ended questions, questions that can not be simply answered with a yes or a no. When you have found out all of the information and led the Patient on a journey through that situation, ask them, How does that make you feel? If you have done your job properly they will tell you. It might be emotional, it might even be hard to listen to, but it generally will be the truth, unvarnished and direct. There may be tears, if so it may be awkward for you, I generally put my hand on their arm for a moment in order to acknowledge the pain.

Go through each situation they have recorded and do the same thing, generally you will not have to ask the loaded question again, they will tell you without prompting. At the end ask them which three problems would they most like to try to fix. When you have identified these areas, grade their current ability, ask them their expected ability and then most importantly agree a realistic final ability. Tell them directly what you feel you can do well and more importantly what you may not be able to do so well.

Why should you do this, there are several reasons, Practice efficacy, human capacity, commercial sense, but most importantly, it is the right thing to do for the Patient. You will make a strong emotional connection to your Patient, they will believe that you are interested in their problems and more importantly that you are interested in dealing with their problems. They will believe that you are an honest, compassionate and caring practitioner, if for some reason they can not do business with you, they will ensure that they will tell their friends to do business with you.

You will help them to truly recognise their difficulties and acknowledge the impact on their lifestyle. You will also manage their expectations openly and usually without Patient rancour. You will gain agreement for a course of action and in fact plan that action out. The Patient begins to talk about when's instead of ifs. You help your Patient acknowledge trauma and then lead them through it to solution, you allow them to openly express their feelings perhaps for the first time. All of this from a well designed piece of paper.

So for every type of dispenser, from the most hardened of commercial to the most Patient centred, there is a pay off from the COSI. More importantly, there is a pay off for their Patients.