Hear In Private Practice

By Leendert van der Ent, Audiology Infos The Netherlands   Rechargeable batteries for hearing aids have been around for some time. Until recently they were a footnote in hearing aid history. That is now about to change. Now the milestone of a full day of service-without-recharge can be guaranteed, the market seems on the brink of change. The less doubt

by Mike Metz   Getting back to our roots, James Jerger’s editorial in a recent trade publication (Jerger, J, Audiology Today, Is It Time to Panic?  Sep/Oct, 2016), raises some issues that may prove pivotal to the field.  And impending changes to the scope and practice of audiology may get some help from a peculiar source, especially in light of

By Mike Metz A friend recently asked me for an audiology referral because he had a unilateral hearing problem along with some other rather vague symptoms.  I sent him on but then began thinking of the differences in audiology now versus audiology in years past. Many audiologists work in a medical office setting, overseen by a physician.  This group may

Editor’s Note: OK, put on your seat belts and prepare for disruption, or at least one professional’s view of such.    By Geoffrey Cooling I read a recent commentary at the Hearing Review a few weeks ago and frankly it made me giggle a bit. In fact, it made me giggle a lot. In essence, it said that people are far too stupid

Tony Grant-Salmon from the British hearing aid manufacturer’s association has compiled all the available sales figures from Europe for 2015 in this report. 2015 witnessed a 4% increase in sales over the previous year; strong results in The Netherlands, the UK private sector, Italy, France and Switzerland provided the biggest contributions to the increase.   This year’s study of hearing

by Mike Metz After a couple of go-rounds on this topic, it lends itself to even more consideration.  What if the manufacturers and the big-box retailers do nothing and continue selling locked hearing aids?  What would be a likely result if all manufacturers unlocked all software?  What would result from actions in the “middle ground” between these extremes?  And, who

by Mike Metz A short time ago, I wrote a post regarding lack of access to the software of some hearing aids.  My comments arose from conversations with other dispensing audiologists.  They saw patients that were having problems with hearing aids purchased from large distributors — Big Box stores primarily.  Evidently, patients believed that they were not getting sufficient benefits from

 by Steve Eagon, MA   In part 1 of this two-part series, I mentioned how we’ve all heard about the Baby-Boomers flooding our offices, and the unique challenges they bring.  In this article, I’m going to make suggestions based upon what I’ve seen from various hearing care professionals around North America who are addressing these Boomer characteristics.  These new approaches

Earl Harford, Ph.D. died September 24, 2016 at his home in Tucson, Arizona.  Dr. Harford was well known for his professional and academic career in Audiology which began at McGill University. He then spent seventeen years at Northwest­ern University where he taught, mentored, and published with luminaries in our profession including Raymond Carhart, Jim Jerger, Bill Rintelmann, Fred Bess, Joe

by Mike Metz, PhD   Consider the success of the “Big Box” sales of hearing aids. Costco alone has become the second largest dispensing entity of hearing instruments in the US, and just lowered the cost of their premium Kirkland 7.0 instruments.  What do you suppose is their return-for-credit rate?  No matter which of the three possibilities—better, less, or the