Key Takeaways:

1. Real-Time, Smartphone-Based Diagnosis: The AI system enables patients to record and upload eye movement videos via smartphone for remote diagnostic evaluation, reducing the need for in-person visits and expensive equipment.
2. Clinical Accuracy and Telehealth Integration: In pilot testing, the model produced diagnostic results comparable to gold-standard devices, supporting its use in telehealth and underserved settings.
3. Scalable, Multi-Disciplinary Innovation: Backed by a cross-campus and multi-institutional team, the project aims to enhance accessibility, streamline clinical workflows, and expand to real-time wearable applications.

Most current AI models are based on static datasets, limiting their adaptability and real-time diagnostic potential. To address this gap, researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and collaborators have developed a novel proof-of-concept deep learning model that leverages real-time data to assist in diagnosing nystagmus—a condition characterized by involuntary, rhythmic eye movements often linked to vestibular or neurological disorders.

The Challenges of Traditional Vestibular Testing

Gold-standard diagnostic tools such as videonystagmography (VNG) and electronystagmography have been used to detect nystagmus. However, these methods can come with notable drawbacks: high costs (with VNG equipment often exceeding $100,000), bulky setups, and inconvenience for patients during testing. FAU’s AI-driven system offers a cost-effective and patient-friendly alternative, for a quick and reliable screening for balance disorders and abnormal eye movements.

FAU’s Real-Time Solution for Nystagmus

The platform allows patients to record their eye movements using a smartphone, securely upload the video to a cloud-based system, and receive remote diagnostic analysis from vestibular and balance experts—all without leaving their home.

At the heart of this innovation is a deep learning framework that uses real-time facial landmark tracking to analyze eye movements. The AI system automatically maps 468 facial landmarks and evaluates slow-phase velocity – a key metric for identifying nystagmus intensity, duration and direction. It then generates intuitive graphs and reports that can easily be interpreted by audiologists and other clinicians during virtual consultations.

Results of the pilot study involving 20 participants, published in Cureus (part of Springer Nature), demonstrated that the AI system’s assessments closely mirrored those obtained through traditional medical devices. This early success underscores the model’s accuracy and potential for clinical reliability, even in its initial stages.

A Cost-Effective Alternative to Traditional Tools

“Our AI model offers a promising tool that can partially supplement—or, in some cases, replace—conventional diagnostic methods, especially in telehealth environments where access to specialized care is limited,” says Ali Danesh, PhD, principal investigator of the study, senior author, a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders within FAU’s College of Education and a professor of biomedical science within FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. “By integrating deep learning, cloud computing, and telemedicine, we’re making diagnosis more flexible, affordable, and accessible—particularly for low-income rural and remote communities.” 

The team trained their algorithm on more than 15,000 video frames, using a structured 70:20:10 split for training, testing and validation. This rigorous approach ensured the model’s robustness and adaptability across varied patient populations. The AI also employs intelligent filtering to eliminate artifacts such as eye blinks, ensuring accurate and consistent readings.

Physicians and audiologists can access AI-generated reports via telehealth platforms, compare them with patients’ electronic health records, and develop personalized treatment plans.

Beyond diagnostics, the system is designed to streamline clinical workflows. Physicians and audiologists can access AI-generated reports via telehealth platforms, compare them with patients’ electronic health records, and develop personalized treatment plans. Patients, in turn, benefit from reduced travel, lower costs and the convenience of conducting follow-up assessments by simply uploading new videos from home—enabling clinicians to track disorder progression over time.

In parallel, FAU researchers are also experimenting with a wearable headset equipped with deep learning capabilities to detect nystagmus in real time. Early tests in controlled environments have shown promise, though improvements are still needed to address challenges such as sensor noise and variability among individual users.

“While still in its early stages, our technology holds the potential to transform care for patients with vestibular and neurological disorders,” says Harshal Sanghvi, PhD, first author, an FAU electrical engineering and computer science graduate, and a postdoctoral fellow at FAU’s College of Medicine and College of Business. “With its ability to provide non-invasive, real-time analysis, our platform could be deployed widely—in clinics, emergency rooms, audiology centers, and even at home.”

Interdisciplinary Initiative

Sanghvi worked closely with his mentors and co-authors on this project including Abhijit S. Pandya, PhD, FAU Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and FAU Department of Biomedical Engineering, and B. Sue Graves, EdD, Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

This interdisciplinary initiative includes collaborators from FAU’s College of Business, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Science, and partners from Advanced Research, Marcus Neuroscience Institute—part of Baptist Health—at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Loma Linda University Medical Center, and Broward Health North. Together, they are working to enhance the model’s accuracy, expand testing across diverse patient populations, and move toward FDA approval for broader clinical adoption.

“As telemedicine becomes an increasingly integral part of health care delivery, AI-powered diagnostic tools like this one are poised to improve early detection, streamline specialist referrals, and reduce the burden on health care providers,” says Danesh. “Ultimately, this innovation promises better outcomes for patients—regardless of where they live.”

Along with Pandya and Graves, study co-authors are Jilene Moxam, Advanced Research LLC; Sandeep K. Reddy, PhD, FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science; Gurnoor S. Gill, FAU College of Medicine; Sajeel A. Chowdhary, MD, Marcus Neuroscience Institute—part of Baptist Health—at Boca Raton Regional Hospital; Kakarla Chalam, MD, PhD, Loma Linda University; and Shailesh Gupta, MD, Broward Health North.  

Featured image: FAU researchers are also experimenting with a wearable headset equipped with deep learning capabilities to detect nystagmus in real time. Photo: Florida Atlantic University

Key Takeaways:

1. The update includes AI tools for voice-to-text dictation, language translation, message creation, and integration with HeidiHealth’s AI medical scribe.
2. A new text messaging center enables practices to use their own phone numbers, send auto-replies, and manage patient conversations efficiently.
3. The system is designed to streamline workflows, allowing providers to act quickly on messages with features like appointment booking and follow-up assignment.

Blueprint Solutions is rolling out a significant release that introduces a range of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features and communication tools, specifically designed to enhance practice efficiency and patient experience. 

“AI technology is one of the most time-saving innovations brought to hearing healthcare operations in years, and we are leveraging the technology for a number of tasks such as voice-to-text dictation, language translation, and message creation. We are also introducing an integration with HeidiHealth’s AI medical scribe,” says Henrik Nielsen, president of Blueprint Solutions.

The newest version of Blueprint OMS introduces an advanced text messaging center designed to streamline communication with patients, making it easier than ever to manage conversations effectively.

“The new text messaging center enables practices to utilize their own phone numbers for texting at each location. It includes a voice-to-text feature, a library for standard messages, and AI-driven auto-replies to streamline communication. All conversations are organized in a user-friendly interface, allowing providers to take immediate action on the conversations, such as booking appointments, setting reminders, or assigning follow-ups to staff members as needed,” says Bridget Fritzke, director of Business Development.

For more information about Blueprint Solutions, visit www.blueprintsolutions.us.

About Blueprint Solutions

Blueprint Solutions provides cloud-based audiology office management software for hearing healthcare professionals worldwide.

Featured image: screenshot of the new messaging center. Photo: Blueprint Solutions

Key Takeaways:

1. AI-Driven Front Office: The acquisition combines Weave’s healthcare communication tools with TrueLark’s autonomous AI to enhance scheduling, responsiveness, and patient engagement without increasing staff.
2. Operational Efficiency: TrueLark’s platform automates tasks like missed calls, appointment booking, and after-hours communication, enabling more proactive and intelligent workflows.
3. Strategic Expansion: Weave aims to extend its reach into multi-location and appointment-based healthcare practices, especially amid rising demand for smart automation solutions.

Weave, known for its all-in-one customer experience and payments software platform for small and medium-sized healthcare businesses, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TrueLark, an AI-powered receptionist and front-desk automation platform. According to the company, this strategic acquisition will bring together Weave’s category leadership in healthcare communications with TrueLark’s agentic AI capabilities to unlock a future of autonomous, intelligent workflows that transform how practices operate, engage patients, and grow revenue.

“TrueLark represents more than a new product; the acquisition positions Weave at the forefront of agentic AI in SMB healthcare. Their purpose-built, AI-first platform brings autonomous, always-on functionality to core front-office operations,” says Brett White, CEO of Weave. The acquisition will deliver a virtual assistant that helps practices fill more appointments, improve responsiveness, and drive stronger patient engagement, all without increasing headcount.”

TrueLark’s platform leverages conversational AI to manage missed calls, text messages, and web chats to book and reschedule appointments, handle after-hours communication, and automate common administrative workflows to replicate and enhance front-office performance. This agentic AI model is designed to enable healthcare teams to shift from reactive communication to proactive, intelligent engagement and ensure every opportunity is captured, even outside of business hours.

The acquisition will expand Weave’s footprint in multi-location practices, where demand for intelligent automation is accelerating amid staffing shortages and operational strain. According to Weave, TrueLark has demonstrated strong product-market fit in appointment-based SMBs, including dental service organizations, which makes their solution extremely compelling for Weave’s SMB healthcare verticals. 

“Joining Weave gives us the opportunity to bring our AI innovation to a broader audience while continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare automation,” says Srivatsan Laxman, CEO and co-founder of TrueLark. “We’re excited to accelerate the next generation of intelligent practice communication together.”

Featured image: Dreamstime

Key Takeaways:

1. Innovative Virtual Model: MaestroAuD enables remote licensed audiologists to serve in-clinic patients via secure tech, supported by on-site staff for a seamless experience.
2. Practice Benefits: The model is designed to eliminate recruitment and relocation costs, integrate with existing workflows, and ensures all audiologist time is revenue-generating.
3. Scalable National Solution: Through the partnership, MaestroAuD will reach more clinics nationwide, providing sustainable support to meet growing patient demand amid the audiologist shortage.

In response to a worsening national shortage of audiologists, Audigy, know for its audiology and ENT practice management solutions, has formed a strategic partnership with Auris Practice Solutions, creators of MaestroAuD, a proprietary in-clinic and virtual model focused on audiology best practices. This partnership aims to deliver a sustainable, scalable solution for ENT and private audiology practices across the country—designed to increase patient care capacity and drive clinical profitability.

The current shortage places a significant burden on clinic teams, stretching resources and adding stress. 

“This is a national issue. Practices tell us every day that they’re struggling to find and retain audiologists. For many, it’s brought growth to a halt,” says Kim Gilmore, president of Audigy. “This solution is past due — and now, with MaestroAuD, ENT and audiology clinics finally have the scalable support they need.”

MaestroAuD, developed by Auris Practice Solutions, is a proprietary in-clinic and virtual model focused on audiology best practices that pairs licensed audiologists from across the country with ENT and audiology practices via secure technology. Unlike traditional telehealth, patients still visit the clinic in person — only the audiologist works remotely. The model is supported by trained onsite medical assistants and audiology technicians to ensure a seamless patient experience.

Auris created MaestroAuD to directly address this workforce challenge—offering flexible remote and part-time opportunities for audiologists, while enabling in-clinic providers to practice at the top of their license. Now, through this new partnership with Audigy, MaestroAuD will expand its reach to more practices and professionals nationwide.

Key features include:

• 100% of the audiologist’s time is revenue-generating
• No recruitment burden or relocation costs for the practice
• Comprehensive remote support for diagnostic testing and hearing aid services
• Seamless integration with the ENT or audiology clinic’s existing EMR and workflow
• 4- to 6-week onboarding with full clinical and operational support

“MaestroAuD was designed to solve the capacity ceiling ENT and audiology practices have hit across the country,” says J. Connon Samuel, CEO and co-founder of Auris Practice Solutions. “We’ve combined high-caliber clinical care with a delivery model that is scalable, efficient, and financially sustainable.”

“We built MaestroAuD to support audiologists working at the top of their license — and ENT and audiology practices that need real solutions, not temporary fixes,” adds Jacquie Elcox, president and co-founder of Auris. “This partnership with Audigy allows us to bring that support to the practices who need it most, right now.”

MedRx has created an audiologic solution that makes it easy to perform telehealth without complicated setups. MedRx audiometers that are compatible with MedRx Studio software will have these new capabilities in the company’s latest software release of MedRx Studio 1.3.2. Here are some key benefits for audiologists utilizing telehealth:

1. Wider Patient Reach and Increased Access

By utilizing satellite offices, providers can extend their services to a broader geographical area without the need to establish a full clinic in every location. Satellite offices can be set up in areas where providers would not typically have a presence, such as rural or underserved communities. This allows providers to serve more patients, increasing their practice’s reach and ultimately attracting more clients. Patients who might have difficulty traveling long distances to the main office can benefit from this setup, ensuring that hearing healthcare services are accessible to a wider population.

2. Improved Efficiency and Workflow

Integrating telehealth with satellite offices helps audiologists manage their time more effectively. With this model, audiologists can conduct multiple sessions throughout the day without needing to physically be present at each satellite office. Patients visit the satellite location, where trained technicians or staff assist with patient setup and the remote audiologist administers the necessary audiometric tests on MedRx equipment and interprets the results in real-time. This allows the audiologist to see more patients in less time, increasing productivity and optimizing their schedule.

3. Cost-Effective Expansion

For audiologists looking to expand their practice, the satellite office model is a cost-effective way to increase service offerings without the significant overhead costs associated with opening and maintaining a full-fledged clinic. Instead of investing in expensive office space, specialty equipment, and additional staff for each new location, audiologists can partner with existing healthcare facilities or lease smaller spaces for satellite offices. All new MedRx audiometers have the ability to work in a telehealth setting without the need for expensive telehealth supplemental hardware. This makes expansion more financially feasible, enabling audiologists to grow their practice while minimizing initial investment and operational costs.

4. Enhanced Patient Convenience

Patients visiting satellite offices for audiometric testing can benefit from reduced travel time and convenience. For many, the option of visiting a local satellite location instead of traveling to a primary office makes the process less time-consuming and stressful. This is especially helpful for patients with mobility issues, those in rural areas, or elderly individuals who may find it challenging to visit a main office. The convenience of satellite offices ensures that patients are more likely to schedule follow-up visits or routine checkups, leading to better patient retention and satisfaction.

5. Improved Access to Equipment and Technology

Satellite offices can be equipped with high-quality MedRx audiometric testing equipment, allowing the audiologist to remotely conduct accurate diagnostics while still ensuring that patients receive the hands-on assistance they need. Trained staff at the satellite office can help setup patients to be tested with MedRx audiometers, tympanometers, or real ear measurement tools. This hybrid model allows audiologists to maintain the high standards of care they provide in a traditional clinic, even in remote locations. Additionally, advancements in telehealth platforms ensure that test results can be viewed securely and in real time to the audiologist for accurate interpretation and timely recommendations.

6. Seamless Continuity of Care

With satellite offices, audiologists can ensure a seamless continuity of care across different locations. Patients who are unable to visit the main office can still receive regular follow-ups and monitoring, ensuring that their hearing health is consistently addressed. Audiologists can manage ongoing care remotely, adjusting treatment plans, reviewing test results, and addressing concerns without the need for patients to travel long distances. 

How to Perform Telehealth Appointments with MedRx Audiometers

A big hurdle for providers is determining how to perform a telehealth appointment. There is a plethora of technology options available to perform telehealth appointments which can be overwhelming. These are the three main items that need to be determined:

Conferencing Software

A conferencing software is crucial to any good telehealth appointment. In hearing healthcare, there are some special considerations that need to be addressed when choosing your provider: remote control ability, audio quality, and video quality. 

Remote control is important because the provider will need to be able to control the computer remotely in order to complete the audiometric testing. Remote control specific software does work well, but is limited in communication abilities. Programs like Zoom and Teams work well for telehealth as they have the option for remote control of a PC, as well as audio and video capabilities. It is recommended to use a program that can complete all communication needs to simplify the setup.

Conferencing Equipment

The equipment used to complete a conference call is also important. Unlike for a traditional meeting, a patient may need to move positions throughout the appointment. If your clinic has a booth, then the patient will be at least two places during the testing. It is important that your conference equipment can handle these needs. We have found the best conference speakers for hearing healthcare are speakers that contain remote microphones. These are speakers that have either lapel microphones or wired microphones that can be placed in multiple locations. 

This style of conference speaker will allow the provider to always hear the patient clearly. A microphone can be placed in the counseling area and an audiometric booth or directly on the patient. An appointment where communication is clear gives an excellent experience for both provider and patient. 

Audiometric Equipment

MedRx equipment is expertly suited for telehealth appointments. The MedRx audiometric equipment is controlled by computers without physical buttons allowing a remote professional to have excellent access to the features remotely.

The difficult part of audiometric testing for telehealth is the ability to hear the patient remotely and talk to the patient when they are under headphones. Many audiometers will require complicated setups and specialty equipment to route the remote provider’s voice to both the conference speaker and talk forward of the audiometer. MedRx has solved this issue without the need for complicated setups or specialty equipment. 

In the latest release of MedRx Studio 1.3.2, the company has implemented a new feature found in the talk forward settings. 

Here you will see a settings wheel that opens a dialog for routing sound. When you are performing a telehealth appointment, simply select the conferencing speaker you are using. Once selected, the talk forward options will add options for level control of your remote voice.

In the above image, you see that MedRx has added AUX Gain and AUX Level, which in combination with Output Level will control the level of the provider’s remote voice. Once activated, the provider’s remote voice will now be presented to the patient under headphones/inserts of the MedRx audiometer when talk forward is activated. Additionally, the provider’s voice will also be presented out of the conference speaker. This lets the in-office assistant know how the testing is progressing. The provider can also talk to the assistant without the patient hearing by not activating talk forward on the audiometer.

The MedRx telehealth solution offers no additional costs, no wires to change, or boxes to plug-in. The MedRx solution is driven solely in software and works seamlessly with audiometers compatible with MedRx Studio software. This is particularly useful for an office that is both in-person and telehealth, as no changes to setup are required. Simply change the AUX device under settings to “None” when in-person and choose the conference speaker when performing telehealth.

Conclusion

Integrating audiometric testing through telehealth appointments with satellite offices provides audiologists with numerous benefits, including increased access to underserved areas, improved operational efficiency, cost-effective expansion, and enhanced patient convenience. This hybrid model enables audiologists to deliver high-quality care while optimizing their resources, expanding their reach, and maintaining continuity of care for patients. MedRx equipment provides a great solution that makes it easier to perform telehealth testing in your offices without the need for expensive specialty equipment. Ultimately, telehealth represents a modern approach to audiology that addresses the growing demand for accessible, patient-centered hearing healthcare.

Caleb Sparkman, AuD, is president of MedRx. He has focused his career on the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics at the University of South Florida, and later went on to earn his Doctorate in Audiology from the University of South Florida.

“I’m truly honored to receive this award,” says Swanepoel. “More than personal recognition, it highlights the importance of making hearing care accessible to those who need it most.”

Hearing connects us, he adds. “It is how we share stories, emotions, and relationships. Making sure no one loses that connection is what drives my work.”

An integral part of Swanepoel’s work revolves around telehealth and, more specifically, teleaudiology. Telehealth uses technology to deliver healthcare solutions remotely to underserved communities, while teleaudiology applies this principle to mobile hearing care. By digitizing and mobilizing hearing care, marginalized communities are able to gain access to basic healthcare. This is particularly important in regions like Africa, where only 2% of people who need hearing aids actually get them.

The main goal of Swanepoel’s research is to tackle the shortcomings of traditional hearing healthcare by refining a borderless innovation that takes hearing care to anyone, anywhere. Ideally, this would involve bringing hearing care solutions to the estimated 700 million people who will need these services by 2050.

“We need to stop thinking of hearing care as something that only happens in a clinic,” Swanepoel says. “It should happen wherever people need it, whether that’s a village, the workplace, or their home.”

Key Takeaways:

1. Innovative Hearing Care – Prof. Swanepoel’s work focuses on teleaudiology, using digital technologies to bring hearing care to remote and underserved areas.
2. Global Impact – His research and innovations, including the hearZA and hearWHO apps, have enabled hearing screenings for millions globally.
3. Equitable Access – Through partnerships with the WHO and the HearX Group, his mission is to make hearing care borderless and accessible to all by 2050.

This has become increasingly achievable thanks to new developments in digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which now allow hearing aid tune-ups, hearing screenings, and other hearing services to be conveniently accessed through a smartphone.

The global scaling of mobile hearing support services is being made possible through the partnership between the hearX Group, the WHO, and UP. This partnership was forged with the development of the hearZA National Hearing Screening app by UP and hearX, the first app of its kind globally. It caught the attention of the WHO and was packaged to become the hearWHO app.

“What started as a South African innovation has now screened half a billion people worldwide for hearing loss,” Swanepoel says.

His work as part of this partnership includes ensuring that new technologies are scientifically validated and impactful on a local and global scale. Minimally trained healthcare workers can be remotely supervised by audiologists and can provide hearing solutions to local communities through these technologies.

The goal is for global and local mobile hearing solutions to be available so everyone who is in need of hearing care services will have access to them, regardless of their circumstances or location.

Responses provided will help us assess current trends in how HCPs are using practice management software. We look forward to showcasing this survey’s results in an upcoming issue of The Hearing Review.

Take the short survey below:

Takeaways:

1. Expanded Hearing Care Access: The Lake Nona center provides complimentary hearing evaluations, innovative hearing aids, and personalized consultation to address untreated hearing loss.
2. Modern, Client-Centered Design: The center features open spaces, interactive product displays, and private consultation rooms for a welcoming and engaging experience.
3. Focus on Innovation and Affordability: Licensed hearing care professionals guide clients in exploring advanced features like wireless connectivity, with insurance support and flexible financing options available.

HearUSA announced the opening of a new modern hearing center in Orlando, Florida, which continues HearUSA’s initiative to expand access to hearing care nationwide.

“More people than ever before are realizing the life-changing benefits of better hearing delivered through prescription hearing aids fitted by hearing care professionals,” says HearUSA President Nick Mengerink. “However, despite this, millions of Americans are still living with untreated hearing loss. HearUSA’s mission is to close this gap by expanding access to premium hearing care through new center openings nationwide, that offer local community members industry-leading hearing aids, education, and expert consultation – so they can begin living more connected, engaged, and fulfilled lives.”

HearUSA’s centers offer the latest prescription hearing aids, as well as the information, resources, and training that can help local residents shatter the stigma long associated with hearing loss and begin living healthier, more engaged lives, the company says.

New Florida HearUSA Hearing Center 

The new Lake Nona center features an inviting and accessible environment where clients can explore prescription hearing aids from leading brands like Widex and Signia. They can also receive a complimentary hearing evaluation, experience simulated hearing environments, and test various hearing aids with guidance from licensed hearing care professionals.

The Lake Nona center features a new design concept that is designed to feel welcoming and engaging, with open spaces and product displays. Key touch points include a welcome hub and solutions wall, as well as calming and professional consultation rooms, says HearUSA.

At the core of the center experience are HearUSA HCPs, who are equipped to help clients discover and understand the latest in innovative hearing aids and their various capabilities—like wireless connectivity to their smartphone, laptop, or tablet—that are necessary for their successful adoption.

Hearing care professionals are joined by client experience specialists who serve as the first point of contact when they enter a center and help clients make the most of their insurance benefits when it’s time to make a purchase.

The company’s insurance strategy also enables clients to get the most from their benefits and flexible financing plans further expand access to better hearing, says HearUSA.

Photo: HearUSA

Key Takeaways:

1. Expanded Hearing Health Access: The new centers in Westchase and Bay Forest offer expanded access to hearing evaluations and resources for Houston’s residents.
2. Comprehensive Client Experience: HearUSA centers feature a welcoming design, hearing aid demos, and assistance from licensed hearing care professionals and client experience specialists.
3. Focus on Modern Solutions: The centers provide access to leading-brand hearing aids with advanced features like wireless connectivity, designed to meet diverse lifestyle needs.

The greater Houston metropolitan area now has more access to hearing health with the opening of two new modern HearUSA hearing centers in the area: Westchase (2691-B Wilcrest Drive), and Bay Forest (1956 El Dorado Boulevard Unit 10).

The opening is part of HearUSA’s initiative to expand access to hearing care through the latest prescription hearing aids, as well as the information, resources, and training that can help local residents shatter the stigma long associated with hearing loss and begin living healthier, more engaged lives.

“Houston is the fourth most populous city in the country, with around 2.3 million residents. We are committed to providing this thriving metropolitan area with the information, resources, and solutions that can help those living with hearing loss access the care they need to lead healthier, more engaged lives,” says HearUSA President Nick Mengerink. 

The two new Houston area centers feature an inviting and accessible environment where clients can explore prescription hearing aids from leading brands like Widex and Signia. They can also receive a complimentary hearing evaluation, experience simulated hearing environments, and test various hearing aids with guidance from licensed hearing care professionals (HCPs).

“An estimated 48 million Americans are living with hearing loss, and they no longer have to,” Mengerink adds. “Major advances in technology, coupled with discreet device designs, the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids, as well as increased affordability, empowers everyone living with hearing loss to get the information they need to choose what fits their lifestyle.”

HearUSA hearing centers are designed to make accessing hearing care easier and more client-focused than ever before. The two Houston centers feature a new design concept that is made to be innovative, welcoming, and engaging, with open spaces and product displays. Key touch points include a welcome hub and solutions wall, as well as calming and professional consultation rooms.

HearUSA has recently been ranked #1 on Newsweek’s Best of the Best category for hearing care and, for two years in a row, HearUSA has been named a Top Hearing Care Retailer in Newsweek’s America’s Best Retailers in 2023 and 2024.

Featured image: HearUSA client consult room. Photo: HearUSA

Takeaways:

1. Patients favor telehealth sessions where the background resembles a professional setting, with offices and diplomas being the most preferred.

2. Home environments like kitchens and bedrooms are least preferred, receiving low ratings for comfort and perceived professionalism.

3. Physicians are advised to use office spaces or professional virtual backgrounds during telehealth visits to improve patient experience and trust.

Americans have gotten used to seeing their doctors and other healthcare providers using telehealth video visits in the past four years. But a new study reveals that what a doctor has behind them during a telehealth visit can make a difference in how the patient feels about them and their care.

Best Backgrounds for Telehealth

Even if the doctor is miles away from their usual in-person clinic or exam room, they should make it look like they’re there, the study suggests.

Even better: sitting in an office with their diplomas hanging behind them – or perhaps having a virtual background that’s a photo of such an office. This is especially true if they haven’t seen the patient before, the study shows.

A home office with a bookshelf or a plain solid-color background are both acceptable to patients, too.

But providers should use blurred or virtual backgrounds if they carry out the visit in a home environment with a kitchen or a bed in the background, the study shows.

Further Reading: Teleaudiology Benefits and Barriers: An Interview with Bopanna Ballachanda, PhD

The findings come from a survey that asked patients to react to seven different backgrounds behind a model physician, and to rate how knowledgeable, trustworthy, caring, approachable, and professional the physician appeared in each, and how comfortable the patient would feel with that provider. It also asked them to consider each background for a first or returning appointment with a primary care or specialty provider.

The study is published in JAMA Network Open by a team from the University of Michigan’s academic medical center, Michigan Medicine, and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. More than 1,200 patients who had seen providers at one of the two health systems completed the study surveys, and the researchers compiled their responses.

Lead researcher Nathan Houchens, MD, is an associate professor of internal medicine at U-M and associate chief of medicine at VAAAHS. His past work on how interpersonal communications affects the patient-provider relationship—including non-verbal factors like attire and posture—led to the new telehealth study.

A Rapid Transition to Telehealth Without Guidance

“The transition to virtual care was rapid and came without specific guidance during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but telehealth appears to be here to stay so it’s important to understand what patients prefer when it comes to the setting their provider is in,” says Houchens, a hospitalist who worked with U-M and VA general internist Jennifer Meddings, MD, MSc, and others on the study.

He notes that during the first year of the pandemic, providers were urged to conduct telehealth visits outside of clinics if they didn’t need to go in, to reduce the chance of COVID-19 transmission.

But now, some clinics have created dedicated spaces for providers to sit in if they have telehealth appointments on days when they’re also seeing patients in person. Some of those might be spaces shared with other clinicians, so a virtual background would also serve to reduce visual distractions during telehealth sessions.

Houchens notes that as telehealth increased in use and became a standard way to receive care, some guidance on “webside manner” has been suggested to guide providers in the ways in which they interact verbally over a virtual connection. But very little guidance is available about the background for their video visits. 

Worst Backgrounds for Telehealth: Kitchens and Bedrooms a No-Go

He and his colleagues were surprised at the level of dislike that patients had for kitchen and bedroom settings, with only 2% and 3.5% saying they preferred these backgrounds respectively, compared with 35% for an office with displayed diplomas, 18% for a physician office, 14% for a plain color background, and around the same for a home office with bookshelf or an exam room.

There were also significant differences in the composite scores for how patients rated the way each background would make them feel about receiving care from the provider. The bedroom and kitchen backgrounds received far lower composite scores than any of the other five backgrounds.

Houchens and colleagues including co-author Sanjay Saint, MD, MPH, have previously published work on patients’ preferences for what physicians wear during clinical encounters. Just like with video visit background, these seemingly superficial factors can actually make a difference in the patient experience, he says.  

“Patients have expectations of what physicians’ attire and workspaces should look like. This study showed that patients prefer what have been previously termed traditional or professional attire and settings,” he says. “Diplomas and credentials remind patients of the expertise they expect a physician to have, and conversely, something is lost when the background conveys a relaxed, informal home environment.”

Putting Better Background Choices Into Practice

The team is currently analyzing more data from the same study, to assess other factors that affect patients’ telehealth experiences—including their access to high-speed internet and their ability to use necessary technologies.

But for now, they suggest that providers can take immediate steps to conduct virtual visits from an office or exam room. Clinics may want to make unused clinical rooms available for use by providers conducting virtual visits during in-person clinic days.

Another option is to create virtual backgrounds that will evoke these types of professional settings.

“This is a reminder that patients often do care about some of the details that providers and health systems may not have emphasized,” he says. “It’s important to remember that our words and our nonverbal behaviors are taken to heart by those we care for, and it behooves us to care about them as well.”

Meddings and Saint are members of the VA Center for Clinical Management Research and the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

In addition to Houchens, Meddings, and Saint, the study’s authors are Latoya Kuhn, MPH; David Ratz, MS; Jason M. Engle, MPH of VA CCMR.

Featured image: Examples of telehealth backgrounds tested in the study, with silhouettes of doctors added for illustration. In the study, a stock image of the same physician was placed in front of each background. Photo: University of Michigan