Hearing Aid Trial Experience

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Hey all! I miss you.

Just wondering, does anyone else's program include an experience with wearing a hearing aid for a week and then reflecting on it? I just programmed my Widex Clear 440s tonight! Love, love, love the zentones but I think I have to buy new, quieter shoes... What were your experiences?

We don't but that is a really interesting idea. We did have several labs involving various real ear measures conducted on our classmates, had to order an earmold for it and such, but nothing to the extent your describing. I can't remember from earlier posts, do you have any HL? Safe to assume that for you and/or your classmates with hearing WNL the aids are set for pretty minimal gain?

I already feel so much more sympathy for my patients, it's amazing what a short experience can yield. I have a very mild loss up around 2-3kHz and a positive family history of hereditary hearing loss, so this is great for me because I get to see what it would be like. Based on what I can hear now, I'm definitely not ready for hearing aids, but I will probably be an early-adopter because I already have mild tinnitus.

Oh, by the way, we are supposed to program for a mild loss, so I programmed about 10dB above my thresholds to mirror the configuration. And everyone does open-fit.

Nothing like that. We tested each other while one ear occluded with an earplug, but that was mainly for masking practice. I was able to get my grandfather's old micro-tech ITE working and it happens to fit me perfectly. I may have to give myself a week trial.

Do it, Dusty! Just... Make sure to adjust the gains, especially the MPO!

To this day I won't fit any hearing aid I've not worn around for at least a weekend. All my reps know this so when they come to show me new stuff they will bring me a demo pair.

For those of you who decide demo'ing aids is a good idea I'd recommend having a set of fully occluding and deep fitting earmolds made. That way you can easily try BTE's in a matter of minutes. Wearing open fit aids allows too much "normal" sound through to be an effective test on sound quality etc in my opinion.

I agree, but as this is our only trial experience, the earmolds would not be worth it. However, I will definitely do this when I am a full-fledged clinician (or closer to it).

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Originally Posted by rEliseMe

I agree, but as this is our only trial experience, the earmolds would not be worth it. However, I will definitely do this when I am a full-fledged clinician (or closer to it).

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We all had earmold products made for us free by Westone our first year. We got a monaural listening piece, fake CIC, ITC and full shell "hearing aids", and a product of our choosing. I chose custom iPod earmolds. I have heard a rumor that Westone will make one thing from impressions for free for students each year. Anyone take advantage of this?

As said above, most mold labs will do it for you for free.

If you run into resistance or there is a cost associated, I will personally fit the bill for any student that wants molds made for this listening/trial purpose. I feel it is possibly the most important tool we have at our disposal so we don't fall into the "marketing hype" of the individual manufacturers.

-D

Originally Posted by DrAudio

As said above, most mold labs will do it for you for free.

If you run into resistance or there is a cost associated, I will personally fit the bill for any student that wants molds made for this listening/trial purpose.

I think I might take you up on this. It's typically a first-semester of second year project (to send in for a custom mold for a listening tube), and we have been told that Westone will no longer be doing them for free, starting with my class. I was very disappointed. I would love to have a set of earmolds.

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Originally Posted by Kitska

I have heard a rumor that Westone will make one thing from impressions for free for students each year. Anyone take advantage of this?

This is directly counter to what I was told, but I haven't called Westone to check.


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Originally Posted by rEliseMe

This is directly counter to what I was told, but I haven't called Westone to check.

Oh, that is too bad. Westone did this whole thing where they gave us little kits for taking impressions, and they have a video out about how earmolds are made and what kind of mistakes not to make when taking impressions. I wonder if any of the other labs would do it.

Hmm, we do have a video we watched but I'm not sure if it's proprietary. Ours is deliciously eighties-style. I think we only use Westone for earmolds, so I have no experience with other labs.

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Originally Posted by rEliseMe

Hmm, we do have a video we watched but I'm not sure if it's proprietary. Ours is deliciously eighties-style. I think we only use Westone for earmolds, so I have no experience with other labs.

I remember the video was a little goofy without meaning to be. The patient in it had an auricular pit -- same video?

I wonder if they are not doing it anymore for ethical reasons (limits on gifts). I heard that the HA manufacturers did not send dispensing practices any holiday cookies this year.

Originally Posted by Kitska

I wonder if they are not doing it anymore for ethical reasons (limits on gifts). I heard that the HA manufacturers did not send dispensing practices any holiday cookies this year.

Incorrect. We got about 800 bucks worth of cookies and associated crap from the 7-10 manufacturers we regularly work with. Not including the, "let's take you to dinners/drinks" stuff.

Basically the only effect the Stark laws have on HA manufacturers is that they now force you to take classes while on the getaways they send you on. The last major adventures I've heard about were to China for about 200 people I believe. There was another event down in Costa Rica the year or so before that. I believe there was a Denmark excursion along with a cruise or two fairly recently. But now rather than just send you to these locations fully paid what the manufacturers do is have you watch a couple training videos for an hour or two a day during the week and a half that you are gone.

-D

Originally Posted by DrAudio

Incorrect. We got about 800 bucks worth of cookies and associated crap from the 7-10 manufacturers we regularly work with. Not including the, "let's take you to dinners/drinks" stuff.

Basically the only effect the Stark laws have on HA manufacturers is that they now force you to take classes while on the getaways they send you on. The last major adventures I've heard about were to China for about 200 people I believe. There was another event down in Costa Rica the year or so before that. I believe there was a Denmark excursion along with a cruise or two fairly recently. But now rather than just send you to these locations fully paid what the manufacturers do is have you watch a couple training videos for an hour or two a day during the week and a half that you are gone.

-D

Originally Posted by Dustbug10

Unfortunately I've not been able to partake in any of the aforementioned trips

-D

We did the Westone thing last Spring. And order 0 of our earmolds from them. Switched to Starkey earmold lab for everything based on what supervisor felt were quality issues. From what I understood we were having to have quite a few remakes.

We got the stethoset which I use on a regular basis and got to select one free product. I got the ear plugs, couple classmates got musicians plugs, swim plugs, etc.

We also had to order a skeleton mold which we used for maybe 3 labs in our HA class.

Has anyone ordered a custom earpiece for a bluetooth headset? I'm giving it some thought.

Originally Posted by DrAudio

Incorrect. We got about 800 bucks worth of cookies and associated crap from the 7-10 manufacturers we regularly work with. Not including the, "let's take you to dinners/drinks" stuff.

Basically the only effect the Stark laws have on HA manufacturers is that they now force you to take classes while on the getaways they send you on. The last major adventures I've heard about were to China for about 200 people I believe. There was another event down in Costa Rica the year or so before that. I believe there was a Denmark excursion along with a cruise or two fairly recently. But now rather than just send you to these locations fully paid what the manufacturers do is have you watch a couple training videos for an hour or two a day during the week and a half that you are gone.

-D

I can personally attest to this. (As an Audiology Asst): I recently returned from a hearing conference in Maui, Hawaii; in which my expenses were almost fully paid.

I use Westone or should I say used Westone up until recently. I started getting a lot of molds that were overfilled. Not just a little overfilled, but so overfilled even with otoslik you couldn't shove the mold into a patient's ears.

I was in a routine for about 2 months where I had to break out the dremel and red wing and go to town.

I now order usually from Microsonic or Great Lakes.

As for Westone not helping students out with freebies, that's a little lame if you ask me. I'd ask Microsonic or Resound or Starkey. You can usually get the same products for the same price and they know you treat students well because students will eventually be your customer base.

As for the demo'ing of hearing aids, I used to do this all the time when I worked for a university. I have a mild high frequency hearing loss (too many years of firearms, power tools, and handling ototoxic drugs in Microbiology work) and would always demo the new stuff. I'd always wear the new stuff for a week and then level with patients if I thought it was worth the price.

I loved the Resound Live chipset and love the Alera series right now for the 802 wireless. I always hated wearing a streamer even when wearing a demo set for a week. Wearing a jabra collar clip is much easier. I've always loved the Widex Mind 440 because it was one of the few tinnitus devices that actually blocked mine effectively. The TS for Resound never did much for me.

I think all students should have to wear a pair of demos for a week just to see the pros and cons of hearing aids. I know when I taught undergraduate communication science majors, they had to wear a pair of earplugs for a day and keep a journal of the experience. It helped cement for many what it's like to have hearing loss and live day to day.

I actually pulled this same stunt when one of our high up administrators in a hospital I worked in decided that he didn't want to fund our charity hearing aid program anymore. I told him if he could wear a pair of ear plugs for an hour and function at his job then we would scrap the program. 30 minutes later I had an apology and he had an I told you so. And before you ask how I pull my pants up over my huge balls - one leg at a time just like you.

Originally Posted by TheEarDoc

And before you ask how I pull my pants up over my huge balls - one leg at a time just like you.

I lol'd.

If in the fall the rumors prove true, I'll check those other places out for sure. Thanks for the heads up.

PS. I also looooved the Zen tones. They were great for my mild tinnitus, but also helped keep my blood pressure down during clinic!