Case scenario 1...a 30-something audiologist completed a routine diagnostic assessment of a 35-year-old patient referred by her primary-care physician for rather vague complaints of inconsistent difficulty hearing in certain settings.
The audiologist performed tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and phonetically-balanced (PB) word recognition testing at a comfortable loudness level. The patient’s history was unremarkable for any obvious etiologies or risks for hearing loss, although she enjoyed listening to loud music.
Topic(s): Audiologist, Audiogram, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Patient care
As audiologists are well aware, even the highest levels of hearing aid technology fit to best practice standards (Academy, 2006; ASHA, 2006) fail to meet the daily listening demands of many patients with hearing loss (Lesner, 2003; Laplante-Levesque et al, 2013). Indeed, as Table 1 reveals, the degree of hearing deficit remaining post-hearing aid fitting can be substantial.
Topic(s): Hearing Assistive Technologies (HAT), Audiologist, Patient care
Throughout the years, health-care service delivery models progressed from a provider-centered method of care toward a greater focus on the patient. In addition, increased prominence has been placed on the use of empirical evidence in the decision-making process to promote clinical accountability. But how can audiologists best provide patient-centered care when each patient is so unique?
Topic(s): Audiologist, Healthcare, Practice Management, Rehabilitation, Patient care
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
