Hearing Economics

Yes, Her is and yes you can!  And Her name is Hearable.1 What Is Her? Just in time, science meets fiction as life starts imitating art. Ray Bradbury didn’t name Her but he anticipated Hearables more than 60 years ago as binaural in-the-ear (ITE) devices: “a hidden wasp snug in its special pink warm nest for an electronic ocean of

Siemens Audiology was big and she was old.  Not usually a winning combination for a princess but it works great in an oligopoly.  Controlling a quarter of the global hearing aid market is an attention-getter.  Belonging to an exclusive group like the Big 6 also turns heads.  Totally dominating an entire G8 country is pretty awesome. And there’s the money

It’s the holiday season, a time when Hearing Economics loves to tell stories, speculate, mix metaphors, and downright fantasize about the once and future hearing devices market.  This and several future posts will keep the tradition alive, by telling a fast-paced, glittering tale of Siemens and those who wanted her at almost any price, or just wanted to be her.

Grant Smith returns to finish his post series on selling practices.  Last post was focused on the psychological considerations that precede all sales, where owners must recognize and weigh the opportunity cost of the choice to sell.  Without addressing those considerations early and thoroughly, owners run the real and literal risk of dying to sell, in which case they have

Grant Smith is blogging today at Hearing Economics.  Previously, he blogged in Hearing Views on the importance of hearing professionals differentiating themselves to today’s hearing aid consumer.   Grant has worn many hats in the hearing aid industry, one being to broker hearing aid sales and acquisitions.  It is in that role that he writes today’s post, giving readers a

The list of US patent approvals in the hearing industry grows longer with each bi-monthly period.  The Big 6 are well represented, but new players continue to enter the arena.  Inventor-owned patents are a rarity these days, accounting for just 10% of all new patents, down from 25% in the past.  In his new book, The Innovators, Walter Isaacson  charts changes

Well, yes.  Hallowe’en demands attention to the growing, under-served, ever-changing Zombie market for hearing healthcare.  Past posts  uncovered the market and provided pointers to Audiologists on how to capitalize on it. Today’s post pulls together zombie odds and ends in hopes of extending market reach and protecting Audiologists’ newly dug-up turf from other less-qualified biomedical professionals.   Here are  suggestions and

Siemens’ plan to strip off Audiology was first reported by David Kirkwood as rumor in February and again as fact in May of this year.   Various types of stripping were dissected at Hearing Economics and by its many Commentators.  A few well-informed, anonymous sources offered their views.  It was all very exciting, as always, when Siemens shows up at the

Tom J. Northey gives us the second half of his ACO  and Audiology post today.  In his current forecast of what’s ahead for Audiologists in the changing healthcare market place, he’s introduced us to the ACO (accountable care organization) model, electronic medical records (EMR), and health information exchanges (HIE).   It’s time to take those acronyms and own them.  Mr. Northey

Tom J. Northey is this week’s guest contributor.  In July, Hearing Economics did a multi-part series going back in time to 2000, when Mr. Northey wrote a seminal article forecasting our profession’s future choices and coining that popular phrase “Audiology Economics.” Lucky for Hearing Economics, the series caught Mr. Northey’s attention.  Though he left the field of Audiology years ago, he graciously