Resource Center - White Papers, Videos, and Expert Insights | The Hearing Review

AI is Transforming Aural Rehabilitation

Eli Patterson — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:35:00 +0000

True success in hearing care includes training the brain to process and understand speech in real-world environments. Without comprehensive aural rehabilitation, a critical gap remains in patient treatment.

Lace AI Pro (formerly LACE) is transforming auditory training. In just 15 minutes a day, give your patients the skills they need to thrive—while building a healthier, more profitable practice.

Download the white paper to discover:

Why leading audiologists consider auditory training essential
How training with Lace reduces hearing aid returns by up to 90%
The power of practicing with familiar voices and personalized content
Strategies for building a more profitable practice

Exploring Forensic Audiology with Robert Traynor

Andy Lundin — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:17:44 +0000

In this Hearing Horizons podcast episode, Hearing Review Chief Editor Melanie Hamilton-Basich sits down with Robert Traynor, EdD, MBA, FNAP—a veteran audiologist, educator, and author—to discuss the fascinating world of forensic audiology. Traynor shares insights from his career as an expert witness and the opportunities this niche field offers audiologists. Drawing from his new book on forensic audiology, Traynor explores how audiologists can leverage their expertise in legal cases and why this practice is gaining traction within the profession.

During their conversation, they discuss:

The historical barriers to audiologists serving as expert witnesses and how the emergence of the AuD credential has shifted perceptions in legal settings.
Why forensic audiology is one of the most lucrative and engaging paths an audiologist can pursue.
The steps audiologists can take to become forensic experts, from gaining clinical experience to completing expert witness training.
What it’s like to testify as an expert, including how to handle depositions and the courtroom experience.
How to balance a forensic audiology role with a clinical practice or academic position.
Key considerations for conducting medico-legal evaluations, including the need for comprehensive diagnostic protocols.

Learn More: To dive deeper into forensic audiology, check out Robert Traynor’s book, Forensic Audiology: A Primer for Expert Witnesses, available through Plural Publishing.

Further listening: Stephanie Czuhajewski on What Keeps Younger People from Seeking Hearing Care

Webinar: Beyond Audiograms – Revolutionizing Hearing Aid Fitting with the ACT™ Test

Eli Patterson — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 18:22:08 +0000

Discover how the ACT™ Test is transforming hearing aid programming for better performance in noise.

Imagine transforming how you fit and program hearing aids, making sure every patient benefits from enhanced hearing in noisy environments. With the cutting-edge Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT™) test, audiology professionals now have a powerful tool that predicts patient success with hearing aids in challenging listening situations.

Join our expert-led webinar to explore how ACT™ is paving the way for more precise, effective hearing aid fittings. This is your chance to stay ahead in the field and provide exceptional patient care.

What You Will Learn:

Revolutionary Insights: Understand the evolution of spectro-temporal modulation sensitivity testing and how it culminated in the ACT™ test.
Practical Demonstrations: Learn how to administer and interpret ACT™ for real-world clinical scenarios.
Improve Patient Outcomes: See how ACT™ can guide you in adjusting advanced hearing aid settings for superior noise management.
Expert Guidance: Gain knowledge from industry leaders with years of clinical and research experience.

Spotlight on Our Esteemed Speakers:

Virginia Ramachandran, AuD, PhD

Dr. Ramachandran is the Head of Audiology at Oticon, Inc., with over a decade of clinical and research expertise at Henry Ford Medical Group. A recognized leader and past president of the American Academy of Audiology, she brings valuable insight into clinical education and audiological innovations.

Ashley Hughes, AuD

As a leading professional at Interacoustics US, Dr. Hughes offers deep expertise in audiometry and hearing aid fitting. She’s an experienced researcher, speaker, and advocate involved in influential audiology organizations and publications.

Why Establishing Standards of Care is Critical for Audiologists

Andy Lundin — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 19:24:26 +0000

In this episode of the Hearing Horizons podcast, Associate Editor Andy Lundin talks with Laura Pratesi, AuD, president of the Audiology Practice Standards Organization (APSO) and owner of Citrus Hearing Clinic in Clermont, Florida.

Together, they discuss APSO’s mission to define minimum standards of care for audiologists, the importance of these standards in advancing the profession, and how emerging technologies like AI and telehealth will shape the future of audiology. Pratesi also shares her personal journey into audiology and the driving passion behind her work with APSO.

Improving Hearing Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Andy Lundin — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 23:49:46 +0000

In this Hearing Horizons podcast episode, Hearing Review Chief Editor Melanie Hamilton-Basich talks with Angela Bonino, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and director of the school’s Children’s Auditory Perception Laboratory, to discuss her research on why children with developmental disabilities tend not to get the best hearing assessments, and what can be done to change that.

During their conversation, they discussed:

How children with developmental disabilities have a significantly higher risk of hearing loss but often lack timely access to assessments.
Why many of these children face challenges in receiving essential hearing tests, which delay diagnosis and care.
Why audiologists should adapt hearing assessments to fit the unique developmental profiles of children with disabilities for better results.
How working closely with pediatricians and other professionals ensures children with disabilities receive proper, ongoing hearing care.

Further listening: Stephanie Czuhajewski on What Keeps Younger People from Seeking Hearing Care

Patrick Kochanowski: Being an Agent for Change in Hearing Care

Andy Lundin — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:35:50 +0000

In this episode of the Hearing Horizons podcast, The Hearing Review’s Melanie Hamilton-Basich is joined by Patrick S. Kochanowski, BS, ACA, BC-HIS, IHS president, a longtime hearing instrument specialist and business owner who advocates for professional leadership and advancement in the field. He shares his perspective on hearing care as a hearing instrument specialist, emphasizing the importance of building trust with patients; reflects on his tenure as president of the International Hearing Society; and discusses what he sees as the most pressing matters for hearing care, now and in the future.

Podcast: Hearing Care Veteran Talks Industry Innovations and Changes

How to Discuss Mental Well-Being with Audiology Patients

Andy Lundin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:48:00 +0000

In this Hearing Horizons podcast episode, Hearing Review Chief Editor Melanie Hamilton-Basich talks with Bec Bennett, PhD, a clinical and research audiologist at National Acoustic Laboratories in Sydney, Australia, to talk about a program she and her team developed to help audiologists incorporate talking to patients about mental well-being into their practice.

Bec Bennett, BSc (Hons), MAud, MBus, Grad Dip Couns, PhD, is a clinical audiologist and senior research audiologist at National Acoustic Laboratories in Sydney, Australia, and an adjunct senior research fellow at Ear Science Institute Australia and the University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on adult audiological rehabilitation, teleaudiology service delivery, and the social and emotional impacts of hearing loss. She is a NHMRC Investigator Fellow and a director of the board, Audiology Australia.

Find out more about the research that was used to develop the AIMER framework:

A Framework to Provide Mental Health Support for Hearing Loss

Facilitating Family Communication: The Role of Advanced Hearing Aid Technology

Andy Lundin — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 16:22:58 +0000

How HCPs can bring family together, strengthen essential bonds, and boost quality of life through healthy hearing.

By Brian Taylor, AuD

As hearing care professionals (HCPs), we are acutely aware of the impact that hearing loss has on family dynamics. During large family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, weddings, or reunions, multiple generations often come together, leading to a lot of cross conversations, background noises, and shifting acoustics. These environments can be particularly challenging for individuals with hearing loss, and odds are — although not for lack of trying — someone had a hard time enjoying themself because they couldn’t follow everything that was going on.

Statistically speaking, half of grandparents and great-grandparents, those aged 75-plus, experience significant hearing loss. So do about one in 10 parents, adult siblings, aunts, and uncles, aged 55 to 64. In fact, 13% of all Americans 12 and older have some form of hearing loss.

This is a significant problem, because family communication is the bedrock of human relationships and hearing is a critical part of effective communication. In the absence of communication and familial engagement, people who experience hearing loss tend to withdraw, leading to social isolation and an increased risk of physical and mental health problems.

By understanding the dynamics of family interactions and the specific challenges posed by hearing loss, we can better support our patients and their families. Advanced hearing aid technology plays a pivotal role in bridging the communication gap, allowing individuals to participate more fully in family life and fostering stronger, healthier relationships.

Missing What’s Important

As an audiologist, it’s been my experience that families often are the impetus for treating hearing loss — a key source of what we call a “salient event” that prompts an individual to act. It’s not necessarily because a family member (helpfully) suggests, “You should really get your hearing checked” when the TV is extra loud, or a family member keeps asking them to repeat themselves. Rather, it’s usually because the person experiencing hearing loss couldn’t understand something important to them, like a valedictorian address, or a theatrical performance, or a wedding toast, or a simple, earnest description of what a loved one did last summer, offered around the family table.

It’s therefore important to understand that family communication is unique, and that hearing health is about more than amplifying sound. It’s about enhancing that communication through technology.

Increasingly, those who study hearing health have come to believe that accounting for everyday, noisy conditions is as important — if not more — than making things louder.

In other words, it’s not enough just to amplify sound for those with hearing loss; the goal should be to pinpoint and clarify the particular sound family members want to hear so they can remain engaged and healthy. And because the places where people need to hear change constantly (folks move in and out of conversations, ambient noise fluctuates, acoustics vary), hearing in noise is a dynamic challenge.

Family communication is also dynamic. It can be hyper-informal, with starts and stops, shouts and murmurs, points emphasized or trailing off. It sometimes starts in one room then continues from another, as one participant moves about. And often, it’s not linear. Many people talk at once, making it hard for anyone with hearing loss to follow and participate.

Plus, family communication is by nature multi-frequency, with high-pitched voices and low, sonorous ones, based on age and gender. With hearing loss, it’s usually the high frequencies that dissipate first, meaning people struggle especially to communicate with children and female family members.

Supporting Families: The Role of Hearing Care Professionals

In addition to supporting our patients, HCPs play a crucial role in empowering family members with the skills and knowledge to advocate for their loved ones’ hearing health needs. This can include utilizing technology, seeking workplace accommodations, or accessing social support networks. Empowered patients and families experience reduced stigma and improved self-esteem, making them more likely to seek help and utilize available resources, which leads to better overall outcomes.

HCPs can also provide access to professional resources such as support groups on social media (e.g., Hearing Loss Association of America) and smartphone apps (e.g., EarGym) that offer information and training on effective communication strategies. Emphasizing the positive health benefits of improved hearing – such as reduced anxiety and frustration, greater social engagement, and an enhanced quality of life – can motivate family caregivers to prioritize their loved one’s hearing care.

These practices can help HCPs significantly enhance the support network for individuals with hearing loss, ultimately strengthening family bonds and improving quality of life.

Hearing Aids That Understand

Modern hearing technology makes sense of family dynamics. Today’s hearing aids can detect the different sounds in a room, identify and enhance the voices of speakers, and reduce background noise so the patient can focus on what they want to hear. They use advanced processing to split sound into different audio channels, as well as artificial intelligence and sensors to identify people as they enter and exit conversations.

Sophisticated technology platforms like Signia’s Integrated Xperience (IX) process volumes of data in real time in order to enhance conversation as it happens. Specifically, Integrated Xperience knows to boost the volume of active speakers — wherever their voices are coming from — while diminishing ambient noise. That way the patient can follow everything that’s going on and contribute confidently to the conversation.

Experts believe that even the most supportive family members can’t fully understand the challenges faced by those with hearing loss, like how tired it makes them to try and follow a conversation. Or how background noise adds to the struggle. And they agree that communication among family creates the connection needed to overcome their challenges. Healthy hearing through the support of HCPs and modern hearing aid technology helps maintain that communication.

Brian Taylor, AuD, is senior director of Audiology at Signia, a division of WS Audiology.

Photo: WSA

Diagnostic Applications for Artificial Intelligence in Audiology

Eli Patterson — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:47:00 +0000

Discover How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Audiology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword. It’s transforming and reshaping industries, including the field of audiology. As an audiologist, you’re at the forefront of this evolution, poised to leverage AI to enhance diagnostics, improve patient outcomes, and optimize your practice. Our comprehensive report dives into these advancements and what they mean for you.

Facing the Challenges in Audiology

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, audiologists face significant challenges: a shortage of professionals, an aging population with increasing hearing loss issues, and the time-consuming nature of traditional diagnostics. These hurdles can impede your ability to provide timely and accurate care.

The Need for Innovation

Imagine the frustration of being bogged down by outdated diagnostic processes while knowing that advanced technology could free up your time and improve patient care. Picture the missed opportunities for early detection and intervention due to the limited availability of audiological data. The current state of hearing care demands a change—a leap towards more sophisticated, efficient, and accessible solutions.

Embracing the AI Revolution

Artificial Intelligence is that change. Our latest report, “Diagnostic Applications for Artificial Intelligence in Audiology,” explores how AI is:

Enhancing Diagnostic Precision: New AI-based diagnostic tools and AI algorithms are streamlining hearing assessments, allowing for quicker, more accurate diagnoses.
Optimizing Workflows: AI integration in primary care settings and home diagnostics ensures that routine tasks are handled efficiently, freeing you to focus on complex cases.
Advancing Genomic Research: Discover how precision medicine, powered by AI, can aid in the diagnosis and treatment for genetic hearing loss, enabling earlier and more effective interventions.
Transforming Patient Interaction: AI doesn’t just automate processes—it enriches patient engagement and personalizes care, ensuring you deliver the highest standard of service.

Expert Insights and Future Perspectives

Nick Hunn from WiFore Consulting and industry experts like Don Nielsen, PhD, and Ruth Reisman, AuD, provide their insights on the current and future landscape of AI in audiology. Learn from their experiences and understand how AI can become a powerful co-provider in your practice.

Ready to Explore the Future?

Curious about the future of audiology and your role in it? Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Delve into our report and see how AI can transform your practice. It’s time to embrace the future and revolutionize your approach to hearing care.

Fill out the form below to access the full report and unlock the potential of AI in your practice. But remember, curiosity is only the first step—what you do with this knowledge is what truly counts.

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Stephanie Czuhajewski on What Keeps Younger People from Seeking Hearing Care

Andy Lundin — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:05:00 +0000

In this episode of the Hearing Horizons podcast, The Hearing Review Chief Editor Melanie Hamilton-Basich is joined by Stephanie Czuhajewski, MPH, executive director of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, who shares her thoughts on the results of the new Synchrony “Hearing Health & Loss Prevention” study focused on what consumers ages 18-55 think about hearing loss and hearing care. They discuss the different reasons why more younger people don’t seek out hearing care and how audiologists and other HCPs could use insights from the study to better understand and help patients.

Further reading: A Study of Younger People’s Perceptions of Hearing Care