By Shari Eberts

Case study: Is your clinic hearing loss friendly?

Jill’s tinnitus was flaring up, and she wanted a professional opinion. She had read that tinnitus was often associated with hearing loss, so she made an appointment with a local audiologist. She arrived early to check in, and the trouble started immediately.

Upon entering the clinic, Jill encountered a receptionist engrossed in her computer. The receptionist mumbled something without looking up, leaving Jill unable to understand. She leaned in, trying to grasp the words, but remained unsure of what was expected of her. Disappointed, Jill had anticipated a hearing care clinic to be more considerate of those with communication challenges.

During the checkout process, Jill experienced more of the same. She felt embarrassed, exhausted, and disrespected. Jill left the provider’s office and never returned.

Why is a hearing-loss-friendly office important?

Hearing care professionals often overlook this aspect of person-centered care, but it is the first thing patients will experience and notice. When your clinic is hearing-loss friendly, your patients feel respected and understood. It demonstrates that you empathize with their communication challenges and are taking steps to alleviate them.

A hearing-friendly clinic also highlights your breadth of knowledge about assistive listening devices and other communication workarounds. It is essential to setting a positive tone for the appointment.

Ways to help your patients feel welcome

It often takes patients 7-10 years to find their way to an audiologist’s office. Don’t scare them away on the first visit! Making them feel welcome is the first step to creating a strong patient/provider relationship.

It starts with the appointment

Using the phone is challenging for many people with hearing loss. Ensure your receptionist speaks slowly and articulates words clearly, particularly on the phone. Even better, allow patients to make or confirm appointments via email or an online system.

Ensure your clinic is quiet and well lit

Background noise is uncomfortable for some people with hearing loss and makes it harder for them to hear. Use carpet or other sound-absorbing materials to minimize sound. Having a well-lit clinic can help those who rely on lipreading for communication.

Share relevant literature in your waiting room

Provide information and brochures from local hearing loss support groups and recommend that your patients try one. Subscribe to relevant magazines like Hearing Life, published by Hearing Loss Association of America. Hearing loss-relevant magazines will help your patients see they are not alone in this new journey.

Use hearing-friendly office procedures

Even in a small clinic, patients may have difficulty hearing when their name is called. Let them know you will tap them on the arm when it is their turn and to relax while waiting. Make sure captions are used for telehealth appointments, and consider using transparent masks for in-person visits. If your clinic has a TV in the waiting room, ensure the captions are turned on!

Supply a written summary of the visit

When giving verbal instructions, your patients may miss important healthcare details and be too embarrassed to ask you to repeat them. Include test results, meanings, and a list of recommended action items in writing at each appointment. A simple checklist keeps the message clear and takes little time to complete. Patients can share this document with their families to keep them involved in their care and refer to it if they have questions after the appointment.

Feature your favorite assistive listening devices in your waiting area

Many patients have trouble watching TV and speaking on the phone. Highlighting solutions (both branded and over-the-counter) in your waiting area provides value-added care. Your clinic is an integral part of your brand identity and is your patient’s first impression of your clinic; make sure it represents your commitment to person-centered care.

Make the checkout process at the reception desk stress-free

The final touch point with your patient is often the reception desk. Make sure the check-out process goes smoothly by providing hearing assistance through a hearing loop or a pocket talker device when needed. Present all financial details in writing so the patient can review them clearly.

Shari Eberts is a passionate hearing health advocate and internationally recognized author and speaker, founder of Living with Hearing Loss, a popular blog for people with hearing loss, and an executive producer of We Hear You, an award-winning documentary about the hearing loss experience. Her award-winning book, Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss (co-authored with Gael Hannan), is the ultimate survival guide to living well with hearing loss. Shari has an adult-onset genetic hearing loss and hopes that sharing her story will help others live more peacefully with their hearing issues.

The ticket shop for the 67th International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians and the Industry Exhibition is live now.

Tickets for the program of specialist lectures, the Industry Exhibition, and the Congress Get-together are available online only both before and during the event. There will be no ticket offices on the Nuremberg exhibition grounds. The ticket shop is open 24/7 and also during the event between October 18 and 20, 2023.

Anyone who purchases their tickets by 31 August 2023 will benefit from the early bird discount.

Free tickets for pupils and apprentices on Friday Future Friday will be held on October 20. Pupils and apprentices can get a free ticket from the online ticket shop. The ticket is exclusively valid on Future Friday. EUHA will soon be posting tips and information on its social media channels.

Pupils and apprentices can look forward to a special program on Friday, including guided tours of the trade fair, and information on training and employment in the industry. The EUHA and the BVHI are inviting them.

“Encourage your apprentices to take part in Future Friday, and let the young people have a look at the future of our industry. Turn EUHA23 into a team event for your company,” the organizations stated in a release.

All tickets carry a QR code and can conveniently be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet. After scanning the ticket at the admission terminals, participants receive their personalized event badge. Payment in the ticket shop is possible using a credit card or PayPal.

Signia unveiled its 2023 Signia Student University program, complete with an all-new lineup of regional professional training sessions set to take place in August and September 2023.

The program is designed to connect with and provide expert advice to the next generation of hearing care professionals (HCPs) and is free to register for all students in audiology doctorate programs.

“This year’s Signia Student University program tackles the current challenges and exciting trends within our industry, and we look forward to gathering with key leaders and eager students who share our passion about the hearing care industry,” said Mike O’Neil, Signia president. “We’ve created a comprehensive lineup of sessions to help prepare students entering the audiology field, and we are excited to share our technological breakthroughs and industry advice with these young professionals.”

Students can choose to attend one of four in-person Signia Student University programs: Tuesday, August 1, in Dallas, Texas; Wednesday, August 9th, in Signia’s new headquarters in Iselin, New Jersey; Thursday, August 10th, in Schaumburg, Illinois; Thursday, September 28th, in San Jose, California, in conjunction with the California Academy of Audiology conference. Students who attend an event in-person will receive special Signia Student University gifts, including backpacks, water bottles and baseball caps.

Every program’s keynote speech will be delivered by Brian Taylor, AuD, senior director of audiology at Signia, and all sessions will be led by industry experts, including Jeanette Fitzke, AuD, and James Thornburg, AuD, covering increasingly important topics in the hearing care industry including real-ear verification, ear impressions, and professional interviewing tips – all of which aim to empower students with valuable knowledge and insights as they prepare for careers in the hearing care industry.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about Signia’s latest technologies and innovations including Signia’s Augmented Xperience (AX) platform, the hearing aids built on Signia AX – Styletto AX, Pure Charge&Go AX and Insio Charge&Go AX – as well as how to navigate Signia software to achieve the best patient satisfaction.

“Through a thoughtfully crafted curriculum, Signia is dedicated to equipping audiology students with the essential skills needed to address the industry’s most pressing trends and challenges,” said Lisa Klop, director of clinical education at Signia. “This year, our program leverages the knowledge of top hearing health experts who bring decades of invaluable experience. In addition to the interactive educational component, attending students can look forward to networking with Signia staff and their peers throughout the event.”

For those who are unable to travel to attend courses in-person, Signia’s 2023 Student University program will be available via livestream.

For more information and for students to register for Signia Student University, click here.

A survey of 1,508 Canadians conducted by hearing aid innovator Signia reveals that younger generations have a more negative perception of hearing aids than those who are more mature.

The survey was conducted to gauge stigma and challenge prevalent misunderstandings surrounding hearing loss. The results underscore the urgency to intensify initiatives aimed at debunking outdated myths about hearing aids, such as believing that hearing aids diminish people’s authority, or make people look older or less attractive.

“False and negative stigma associated with hearing aids is one of the main reasons people put off getting help for their hearing loss,” said Michèle Dostaler, audiology team manager with Signia. “The truth is that delaying treatment for a hearing issue can be detrimental not only to a person’s hearing health, but also to their long-term emotional and cognitive wellbeing.”

The Signia survey also revealed significant discrepancies on the levels of confidence among different generations about disclosing a hearing issue, with 42% of Gen Z respondents (aged 18 to 26) willing to talk about their hearing issues only with their family and close friends. In contrast, only 17% of Boomers (aged 59 and older) are open to discussing their hearing only with close friends and family.

“Mature Canadians are more open to talking about their hearing concerns today than they were in past generations,” said Dostaler. “What we want to encourage is the understanding that a hearing issue is a health issue that can affect anyone at any age and should be treated just as seriously.”

Topline findings of the Signia survey on stigma include:

• Men perceive the use of hearing aids much differently than women, with 31% of men considering that wearing a hearing aid makes people look impaired or vulnerable (vs. 19% of women)
• Two out of five (40%) of Gen Z respondents think that wearing a hearing aid reduces people’s chances to get a job (vs. 14% of Boomers)
• Thirty-eight per cent of Gen Z respondents think that wearing a hearing aid makes people look impaired or vulnerable (vs. 15% of Boomers)
• Over a third (34%) of Gen Z respondents think that wearing a hearing aid makes people look older than they are (vs. 18% Boomers)
• One out of four (25%) of Gen Z respondents think that hearing aids diminish people’s authority (vs. 6% Boomers)

Signia is encouraging all Canadians to take a free hearing test online to help determine whether they may be experiencing hearing loss, and to find out about recommended next steps.

Amplifon, a hearing services and solutions provider, has been made the main partner of Next Age, the first accelerator in Europe to invest in startups developing products or solutions dedicated to the Silver Economy.

Next Age is part of the CDP Venture Capital National Accelerators Network which now has 18 hubs across Italy to promote and support the growth of young companies specializing in high-potential markets.

Launched by CDP Venture Capital and the AC75 StartUp Accelerator, Next Age aims to boost the growth of startups in the Silver Economy, the sector of products and services dedicated to the over-50s which according to forecasts will be worth 5.7 trillion euros, or one third of the European GDP, by 2025.

The initiative will allow Amplifon to connect and collaborate with new Italian and international startups operating in the Silver Economy, particularly in the hearing care sector, and to obtain a privileged insight into new technologies and business models.

In return, Amplifon will contribute to the program with its experience and expertise in developing innovation solutions for the Silver Economy and its vision as an Italian company with a global profile and activities in 25 countries.

“Joining Next Age is part of the innovation path we have pursued for some years now with the aim of leveraging on digital technologies and data to offer our customers an increasingly personalized service and develop the best multichannel experience,” said Enrico Vita, CEO of Amplifon. “Partnerships with innovative entities are a key part of this process: in fact, it was from the meeting between an Italian startup, OtoHub, and our digital division that last year we established AmplifonX, our internal startup in which we plan to invest 150 million euros in the 2022-2024 period.”

Based in Ancona, Italy, Next Age is a three-year program that plans to select about ten seed and pre-seed startups each year with the aim of offering them access to a structured four-month path, significant investment and support from accelerator partners, in order to receive guidance on the validation of their business models.

Photo courtesy of Amplifon

BelAudição is the owner of the leading retailer of hearing aid solutions in Portugal, AudiçãoActiva, with around 50 hearing aid stores and 2022 revenues of around EUR 35 million and topline growth of 24%.

MCH Private Equity is an independent private equity firm based on the Iberian Peninsula with a focus on investing in companies with high potential in attractive sectors. Their mission is to support mid-sized businesses in transformation processes, ranging from the transition of ownership in family-owned companies to the internationalization and development of organic and inorganic growth plans.

The transaction demonstrates GN Hearing’s commitment to its successful strategy of not owning retail and instead focus on being a key supplier to strong independent hearing aid dispensers. GN finalized the acquisition of BelAudição – a long-time GN Hearing customer – in 2022 to facilitate a generational transition. GN Hearing has, therefore, carefully considered potential buyers to back the next phase of BelAudição’s impressive growth journey while securing that GN Hearing remains a key supplier of hearing aids to the business.

“We are very pleased to have found a new strong owner for BelAudição, a high performing hearing care retailer with an impressive growth track-record,” said Gitte Aabo, CEO of GN Hearing. “GN Hearing continues to be fully committed to BelAudição and hearing aid users across Portugal as a key supplier of leading hearing aid technology. Together with MCH Private Equity’s local presence and expertise, BelAudição now has strong backing to execute their ambitious growth plans to the benefit of all parties. Further, this divestment is also an important step in executing GN’s new capital plan to strengthen the capital structure and continue to drive growth and innovation.”

“MCH’s acquisition of BelAudição is a strategic step in our vision to invest in promising Spanish and Portuguese companies with growth potential,” said Andrés Peláez, senior partner at MCH. “This acquisition strengthens MCH’s position in the market and reaffirms our commitment to support the development of companies in key sectors.”

Alantra is serving as exclusive financial advisor to GN on the transaction. Vieira de Almeida (VdA) and Uría Menéndez-Proença de Carvalho (UMPC) are serving as legal counsels to GN and MCH respectively.

Photo 218822056 © Josepalbert13 | Dreamstime.com

Beltone announced the relaunch of its U.S. website with a focus on lead generation and analytic reporting at the local level for its independent network. The updated website has been designed to provide a seamless and user-friendly experience for patients and caregivers while also delivering valuable data through an easy-to-access and comprehensive dashboard for independent owners.

“Our goal is to provide our independent network of owners with the tools and resources necessary to enhance their business performance and attract more patients to their local offices,” said David Molella, president of Beltone North America. “The new site is modern and intuitive and provides insights to help our owners make informed decisions about marketing and business strategies.”

With the new site, owners can customize their location page with tools such as a curated image library, special offers, and events that reflect the needs of their local market. For patients and caregivers, when they first visit Beltone.com, the site intuitively highlights the nearest location to the user along with the hearing care professionals that work there, when the next available appointments are, and the specific services they offer to solve their hearing loss.

Some of the enhanced user features include a new chat functionality with AI and the integrated ability to book an appointment, an updated online hearing assessment, and a guided help experience. When booking an appointment, patients can now select if they’re a current patient, new patient, or if they would like a virtual appointment. The website has been designed to be ADA compliant, with larger, clearer text as well as video transcripts for those with disabilities.

“The Beltone brand is well recognized for its exceptional customer service, which is provided at the local office level, so we made that a priority on our updated site,” said Dan McCoy, vice president of marketing at Beltone. “We want our patients and caregivers to discover Beltone when they first begin their search. By introducing them to the people who will be working with them in advance, we hope to make their appointment an even more welcoming experience while we guide them along their journey to better hearing.”

For those interested in taking advantage of the new website tools and resources along with the additional benefits you get when you are part of Beltone’s award-winning network of independent owners, visit www.ownabeltone.com.

Bruce A. Scott, MD, an otolaryngologist from Kentucky, was voted president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) by physicians gathered at the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Following a year-long term as president-elect, Scott will be installed as AMA president in June 2024.

“Winning the faith and support of my peers to represent the nation’s physicians and patients we serve is a great honor and tremendous responsibility,” said Scott. “Physicians faced incredible challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – personal challenges to their own health, as well as financial headwinds and inflation that closed many, and imperiled other, physician practices. With physician burnout surging, prior authorizations taking more and more time and resources away from patient care, and an unsustainable Medicare system, I will advocate relentlessly during my presidency for the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians.”

Scott has been a leader in medicine throughout his career and a member of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) for over 25 years. First elected speaker of the AMA HOD in 2019, he previously served as vice speaker and joined the AMA Board of Trustees in 2015.

Based in Louisville, Scott is board-certified in otolaryngology and president of Kentuckiana Ear, Nose & Throat, medical director of Premier Ambulatory Surgery Center, and holds a clinical appointment at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

He is a member of the board of directors for Health2047, the AMA’s Silicon Valley-based innovation subsidiary that finds and funds tech-enabled commercial health care enterprises. In this role he is helping shape the future of medicine to empower patients and healthcare providers with meaningful and measurable impact.

Scott has been president of his state and county medical associations and continues to serve on the board of the Greater Louisville Medical Society and the Kentucky Medical Association. As a leader of these associations, he has fought for access to care for vulnerable populations, improvement in public health and reduction of administrative burdens in health care.

An author of myriad articles for peer-reviewed publications, as well as chapters in otolaryngology textbooks, Scott also speaks to physician audiences around the country on topics ranging from leadership and advocacy to sinusitis and clinical documentation.

He earned his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University, completed his medical education and residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) in Galveston, Texas, and a fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Lexie Hearing, a market leader in US hearing healthcare and the developer of the award-winning Lexie B2 Hearing Aids Powered by Bose, has been named to TIME’s third-annual TIME100 Most Influential Companies list.

The renowned list highlights companies making an extraordinary impact around the world. To assemble the list, TIME solicited nominations from its global network of contributors and correspondents as well as from outside experts. Then TIME editors evaluated each on key factors, including impact, innovation, ambition, and success. The result is a diverse group of 100 businesses helping chart an essential path forward.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by TIME, next to some of the world’s most iconic brands. At Lexie, we work every day to create accessible hearing care for everyone, everywhere, and we’re thankful to TIME for recognizing our positive global impact,” said Nic Klopper, Lexie Hearing Founder and CEO.

In late 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of nonprescription hearing aids over the counter (OTC) at retail and pharmacy stores.

Today, Lexie’s OTC hearing aids help make hearing care more affordable and accessible for the 37.5 million Americans who need it. Available in more than 12,000 stores nationwide for a fraction of the cost of prescription hearing aids, the devices are helping people take control of their hearing and shaping the future of hearing health.

“For too long, proper hearing care was under-prioritized and difficult to access. Hearing aids were exorbitantly expensive and required ongoing consultations,” said Klopper. “Lexie is changing that. We have changed an industry by offering more affordable solutions with high-powered technology, providing a clinically-proven hearing experience for a much smaller cost than prescription hearing aids. Our over-the-counter hearing aids and award-winning customer support are life-changing for people with mild to moderate hearing loss who can now get Lexie hearing aids at the click of a button, and once again hear the people and life they love.”

TIME editors solicited nominations for the list from companies across a range of sectors, including health care, entertainment, technology and design.

By Laura Winther Balling, PhD, Renate Olinger, Anne Mette Jeppesen, MA, and Dana Helmink, AuD

Patients with mild hearing loss whose main complaint is tinnitus may benefit from amplification but object to the sound quality of hearing aids. For many, Widex PureSound, which has been optimized for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, can overcome the hurdle of poor sound quality. Combined with sound therapy options in Widex SoundRelax and Zen, this provides hearing care professionals with a strong and flexible offering for patients with tinnitus.

Imagine a patient whose main complaint is tinnitus but who also has a mild hearing loss. A main treatment option would be hearing aids,^1–4 but what if the patient objects to the sound quality? This is not unlikely given that their hearing loss is mild and they are not primarily looking for amplification to solve an audibility issue. How can a hearing care professional (HCP) solve this sound quality problem?

A very attractive solution is to fit the patient with Widex PureSound™. This is an option in Widex Moment™ hearing aids in which the signal processing delay has been drastically reduced to eliminate artifacts and optimize sound quality for mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Combined with the sound therapy and relaxation options available in Widex SoundRelax™and Zen, an HCP has a broad palette of treatment options to help the tinnitus patient.^5,6

Sound quality is crucial for many patients and is a major determinant of hearing aid satisfaction.^7,8 The importance of sound quality is likely to be more pronounced for those with mild hearing losses.⁹ This makes Widex PureSound an ideal option for patients with mild-to-moderate hearing losses, including those whose main complaint is tinnitus rather than hearing loss.

Reducing delay for optimal sound quality

The key benefit of Widex PureSound hinges on the fact that the processing delay is radically reduced to an average of 0.5 ms. Premium hearing aids from other manufacturers operate with processing delays of 5 to 8 ms, as illustrated in the left panel of Figure 1 (for a detailed explanation of these differences, see ¹⁰). For open and vented fittings, this means that the delayed amplified signal is out of sync with the direct signal that reaches the ear through the vent. When two out-of-sync sound sources mix at the eardrum, they add up and cancel each other, creating a gain-frequency curve that resembles the teeth of a comb, as shown in the right panel of Figure 1.

The comb-filtering artifact results in a tinny, artificial hearing aid sound. It arises in open and vented fittings, which are generally worn by people with milder hearing losses, who are also more likely to hear the artifacts.¹¹ With the ultra-low delay of Widex PureSound, this artifact is virtually absent, as illustrated by the smooth blue curve in the right panel of Figure 1.

The most obvious benefit of reducing processing delay is a sound quality advantage. The absence of comb-filtering artifacts results in better sound quality, which in turn results in a preference for lower delay across a wide range of situations, documented in lab,¹² real-life,¹³ and hybrid studies.¹⁴

Other benefits of delay reduction

In addition to the sound quality advantage, the cleaner, less delayed signal of Widex PureSound also improves neural representation, spatial perception, and real-life experience.

Slugocki and colleagues¹⁵ investigated the effects of reducing delay on the brain response to speech, comparing the Envelope-Following Response (EFR) between Widex PureSound and two other premium hearing aids with longer delays. The study showed a more robust neural representation for Widex PureSound, which is associated with improved speech comprehension,¹⁶ better ability to identify a speaker’s voice,¹⁷ and easier extraction of target information from competing speech.¹⁸

Another benefit of reducing delay is that the spatial experience of listening through hearing aids may become more natural. This is because the processing delay in standard hearing aids may interfere with the timing of the room reflections—i.e., how the sound is reflected from surfaces in the room and how fast those reflections come back to the listener—which largely determines the auditory experience of a space. The delay in standard hearing aids may result in an unnatural sound that does not match the visual perception of the surroundings. By contrast, the ultra-low delay in PureSound preserves the timing of the room reflections for a more natural sound. This is supported by Korhonen and colleagues,¹⁹ who found that spatial discrimination was more accurate with Widex PureSound than with other premium hearing aids with longer delays.

Widex PureSound’s benefits have also been documented in real life. A survey of hearing-aid users¹³ wearing Widex PureSound showed higher ratings on a range of parameters that can be directly linked to delay, including naturalness and clarity of sound, accuracy of spatial perception, and naturalness of own voice. The survey also showed higher satisfaction with PureSound than other hearing aids in noisy situations. It is interesting that the less processed sound of PureSound also gives higher satisfaction in noise. A likely explanation is that the improved naturalness, robust neural representation, and accurate spatial experience make for a more pleasant listening experience in noisy environments.

Sound therapy for tinnitus treatment

Alongside amplification, the main treatment option for tinnitus is sound therapy (see, for an example,²⁰). Both are part of the Widex Zen Therapy framework, together with counseling and relaxation techniques. The different elements may be used separately or together, depending on the patient’s preferences and severity of symptoms.

The sound therapy in Widex Zen Therapy is based on principles of fractal mathematics, with chime-like sounds that each have a recognizable quality but never repeat exactly. The original implementation of this is the Zen tones. Widex SoundRelax offers a new generation of fractal sounds that are softer, with improved interaural synchronization. Widex SoundRelax also includes wave-like sounds, which may be used alone or in combination with the tonal sounds. Zen was originally only implemented with Widex Universal, but with the introduction of Widex SoundRelax, fractal tones are also available with PureSound signal processing.

Specific Widex SoundRelax and Zen sounds are easily selected in the fitting software via default programs and are complemented by a wide range of options for customizing pitch, volume, and tempo. Patients can activate the sounds in their daily life for immediate and long-term relief from tinnitus.

Studies show the benefits of fractal sounds and the framework of Widex Zen therapy.⁶ A long series of studies published since 2010 show the benefits of fractal tones in themselves ^21-23 and of the broader Widex Zen Therapy framework. ^24-26

More recently, Balling and colleagues ^5,27 investigated the new Widex SoundRelax sounds for different user groups. For a mixed group of listeners with and without tinnitus, the Widex SoundRelax sounds were rated highly for relaxation, concentration, and well-being,²⁷ indicating their usefulness for reducing stress and improving well-being. Specifically for patients with bothersome tinnitus, a longitudinal study showed a significant improvement in tinnitus handicap after one month, which was sustained after two and four months of use,⁵ as illustrated in Figure 2.

Widex Zen Therapy is a multi-faceted framework for tinnitus treatment, which allows an HCP to combine different treatment elements (amplification, sound therapy, counseling, and relaxation techniques) for the individual patient, according to their unique needs and preferences. For amplification and sound therapy to reduce tinnitus distress, patients need to wear the hearing aid, which makes it important to optimize sound quality.

For patients with mild-to-moderate hearing loss—whose main complaint may be tinnitus— Widex PureSound, with its ultra-low signal processing delay and artifact-free sound, is an ideal solution. For those outside the PureSound fitting range, the Widex Universal program has been optimized for a wider range of hearing losses while still offering industry-leading signal processing delay for all wearers (Figure 1). For both signal processing strategies, many additional aspects besides delay have been tuned for optimal sound quality,¹⁰ with the aim of providing tinnitus sufferers and others with a better hearing life and improved well-being.HR

Laura Winther Balling, PhD, senior evidence and research specialist; Renate Olinger, M. communication pathology, audiology communication manager; and Anne Mette Jeppesen, MA, senior audiology solution manager, all work at Widex A/S in Lynge, Denmark. Dana Helmink, AuD, is senior director of audiological development at Widex US. Correspondence can be addressed to Dr Balling at laba@widex.com.

References:

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