June 15, 2012
Prospective patients will often contact an audiology/hearing practice and ask about a particular hearing aid, hearing protection device or other product. “My friend wears a pair of_____, and I’d like to try that kind”, they may say. While it is certainly true that some products have more advanced features in programming, microphones, etc., it would be poor practice to fit an individual with a particular product only because of a recommendation by another patient. The patient’s lifestyle, level of impairment, occupational needs, medical status, manual dexterity or other factors DIFFER from the friend or family member. Appropriate options guided by the experience and expertise of the professional must be presented. A good audiologist or dispenser must also be able to determine if a patient shows clinical signs that should be treated by another medical professional.
Patients may trust their friends’ judgment. this is good, but there are no good one size fits all hearing aid options. This is the reason for the wide variety of styles available. Style selection is important for many reasons, including lifestyle and fit. Some patients will always have more options than others, given the large variety of factors.
As a patient and informed consumer of hearing health care practices and products, always choose professionals whose training and experience allows them to focus on the patient’s specific needs first. The product must be the one that best fits these needs. When patient and professional collaborate, outcomes improve. One size fits all hearing aids will not likely be an answer. In the end good results have more to do with quality, trusting relationships of patients to providers than any other factor. This has ALWAYS been our focus at Clear Choice Hearing and Balance. Let us keep you on a clear path to good hearing and ear health.
