"So what do you do?" I paused and thought of several different responses that were possible. I responded with a smile and three simple words, "I change lives."
Over the course of our careers, we are asked many times why we do what we do—sometimes we even ask ourselves that question. While there is a myriad of answers, some individuals have a personal experience with audiology that brought them to this profession. More and more students are entering the profession with hearing loss, and are excited for what the future has in store.
Topic(s): Audiologist, Hearing Loss, SAA - Student Academy of Audiology
Did you know that there are nearly 20 journals that publish articles related to hearing aid technology, signal processing, and fitting? And that each year, more than 200 articles are published related to hearing aids? In the words of the great philosopher Frank Zappa, “So much to read, so little time.” Well, we’re here to help!
Topic(s): Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Pediatric, Audiologist, Practice Management, Patient care, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid devices
It is a noisy health-care world, and there is an utmost need for marketing from audiologists who live in a world where they often struggle to be heard. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), on average, it takes seven years for someone with hearing loss to schedule an appointment with an audiologist (HLAA, 2018). This can be due to a number of hurdles. The primary one being that people suffering from hearing loss simply do not want to admit their condition. Second, their awareness of audiology is limited when compared to other health-care professions.
Topic(s): Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Social Media
Over the years, there has been an expansion of group aural rehabilitation programs facilitated by audiologists to support new hearing aid users and their families. These programs focus on hearing aid use, the psychosocial aspects of living with hearing loss, collaborative problem solving, and the facilitation of communication strategies (Kricos, 2000). There are numerous advantages to offering group aural rehabilitation, but what makes a program successful?
Topic(s): Aural Rehabilitation, Audiologist, Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, Rehabilitation, Treatment
Audiology is the study of one of the most important senses we possess as human beings: a sense that connects us 24/7 to our environment, to other people through a real-time fusion of mind and emotion we call speech, and to the opportunities of life that arise from being in the right place at the right time.
Yet, despite all this, society largely seems to consider hearing care irrelevant. It often takes a crisis in a person’s life before someone seeks out an audiologist—if they seek us out at all.
Topic(s): Hearing Loss, Treatment