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
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.
