Speech Mapping
The approach to fitting hearing aids should be as unique as each individual. The team at Visalia Hearing Center understands this all too well.
Led by Dr. Dan J. Finnegan, your local top-rated audiology clinic leverages evidence-based techniques like Real Ear Measurements (REM) to optimize the functionality of prescriptive hearing aids, ensuring each device is tailored to the user’s specific hearing loss and ear canal acoustics.
Real Ear Measurements
Real Ear Measurements, also known as probe microphone measurements or speech mapping, are the gold-standard method of verifying and ensuring that the gain/volume settings of prescriptive hearing aids are correct.
This process does not merely rely on the user’s subjective perception of sound, but provides an objective assessment of the sound levels delivered to the ear drum.
Real Ear Measurements are tests that quantify the performance of the prescriptive hearing aids while the user is wearing the devices in their ears, and remove all guess work from programming.
Doctors of Audiology no longer have to ask, “so how does that sound?” because it is already known!
Why REMs Matter
The significance of Real Ear Measurements cannot be overstated; they are the foundation upon which all prescriptive hearing aids should be programmed. Real Ear Measurements allow Doctors of Audiology to account for the unique characteristics of your unique ears, including the size and shape of the ear canal. In fact, research suggests that patients prefer the settings of hearing aids that have been programmed using Real Ear Measurements.
All professional Audiology Associations, including The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), the American Auditory Society (AAS) & the California Academy of Audiology (CAA) endorse this practice as the gold standard for prescriptive hearing aid fittings.
Real Ear Measurements are beneficial to both patients and Doctors of Audiology, ensuring that patients are getting the boost in hearing needed for them to better communicate with friends and family. It gives evidence to Audiologists on the effectiveness of a patient’s treatment plan. More importantly, though, Real Ear Measurements embody the adage, “trust but verify.” While Visalia Hearing Center trusts our hearing aid manufacturing partners, it is our job as your Audiologist to verify that you, our patient, is in fact getting what you’re paying for.
REMs – The Procedure
Executing Real Ear Measurements is a meticulous process that involves multiple steps:
Step 1
Your audiologist will inspect your ear canals to ensure there is no excess earwax or debris that could potentially interfere with the accuracy of the measurements. If there is significant ear wax, your Audiologist will remove it.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
The audiologist will continue this analyze-and-adjust process for multiple input levels (soft speech, average speech, loud speech) until the hearing aid settings reach optimal full-prescription strength levels for your unique needs.
Step 6
After documenting full-prescription strength, the volume of the hearing aids will then be set to the “training wheels program,” a volume well below full-prescription strength. This is done to smooth out the transition and help you get used to amplified sound.
Step 7
Finally, the Doctor of Audiology will review the results with the patient, showing the before, after and training wheels settings. After completing this procedure, each patient will know exactly how and why their hearing aids are programmed the way they are.
This comprehensive process typically takes around 5-10 minutes per ear and leaves you feeling confident that your hearing care is in the hands of a team that truly wants you to hear at your best.
Real Ear Measurements at Visalia Hearing Center
The use of Real Ear Measurements is a vital part of optimizing the functionality of prescriptive hearing aids. While there are multiple Real Ear Measurement systems available, Visalia Hearing Center utilizes the VeriFit 2 by AudioScan, which many consider the gold standard verification system.
We prioritize the use of Real Ear Measurements in each of our prescriptive hearing aid fittings. This procedure is not only a benchmark of best practices, but is also in the best interest of our patients.
It is one the key differentiators between a mediocre hearing center and an exceptional one. In fact, we believe that if more clinics followed best practices and routinely performed Real Ear Measurements, hearing aids would have a much better reputation.
Find Out What You’re Missing
By following best practices, like incorporating Real Ear Measurements, your team at Visalia Hearing Center is committed to ensuring that you and all of our patients get the most out of your prescriptive hearing aids.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’re interested in scheduling an appointment. Strong, healthy hearing is just a click (or a call) away!
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