Hearing Device Brands and Fittings
Excel ENT of Alabama is a provider of a variety of hearing aids from different manufacturers such as Phonak, Starkey, and Signia. We know that hearing device selection can be a tasking and complicated process with the variety of styles, features and prices available on the market. Our audiologist will assist you in choosing the best hearing aid/s based on your type and degree of hearing loss as well as your personal needs. We offer a variety of hearing aid brands, styles and strengths, as well as rechargeable options to customize your hearing aids to your hearing loss and lifestyle. The audiologist will meet with you for a hearing aid consultation to discuss your preferences and to explain the different hearing aid styles and features. A 30 day trial demonstration is available for the hearing technology you choose.
How then as audiologists do we ensure that hearing aids are appropriately programmed for each unique, individual patient and their hearing loss? The use of a probe-microphone, or real-ear measurement system is the only way to objectively verify and measure the appropriateness of hearing aid gain and the resulting output across frequencies, ensuring audibility of the speech signal. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) have created guidelines recommending the use of real-ear measurements as the best-practice for verifying hearing aid fittings. Despite the numerous documented benefits of conducting real real-ear measurements during hearing aid fittings, nearly 70-80% of audiologists do not routinely use real-ear measurements when fitting hearing aids. Reasons include lack of time, financial difficulties and/or space constraints. Instead, many routinely rely on the hearing aid manufacturer’s first-fit settings. The problem with this approach is that many manufacturers’ first fit settings fall short of the patient’s needs when it comes to hearing aid gain and output. Essential auditory information is then being missed, and speech cannot be well understood by the patient.
Excel ENT of Alabama values and complies with best practice guidelines for hearing aid fittings. Time, space, and financial challenges are not a valid excuse for failing to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. We are updating our equipment to the Interacoustics Callisto to continue to be the only providers offering probe-microphone real-ear measurements during all hearing aid fittings. Our audiologist understands the importance of providing quality hearing devices as well as verifying that those devices meet each patient’s needs for audibility according to their type and degree of hearing loss. Research suggests that completing these measurements as a part of routine clinical care improves patient satisfaction and reduces the number of return visits as well as the number of hearing aid returns. Utilization of real-ear measurements is the current industry guideline for best-practices when it comes to hearing aid fittings. By providing patients with hearing aids that are customized to their hearing loss needs using verification, the hearing aid provider is ensuring the value of both their expertise and the hearing aids for addressing patient concerns regarding speech understanding.
For more information about hearing aids, contact us for an appointment with the audiologist!
