Hearing Views

By Lolly Wigall I like to think of myself as a pretty good audiologist.  I’ve been seeing patients since 1970, and I think that I have learned how to listen to patients and their families and how to explain test results so that the normal layperson can understand them.  I also believe that I can help patients by fitting them

By Angela Loavenbruck, Ed.D. When I use the word “soul,” I’m not using it in the religious sense.   I use “soul”  to refer to my sense of identity, my experience in the world of consciousness, my personality, my emotions, my passions, my beliefs – that whole set of cognitive and emotional processes that make me feel like me. Being an

By Lolly Wigall As I get older I become more aware of the decisions I have made over my lifetime. Decisions such as where to go to college, whom to marry, where to live, what house to buy, what profession to call my own, how many children, and too many other decisions to list here. But to me, decisions about

By Angela Loavenbruck, Ed.D. Commoditization is one of those words you suddenly realize you are hearing over and over in convention presentations, white papers, letters to the editor and other commentary. Commoditization refers to the process by which buyers of products and services reduce their buying decision to price alone. Audiology is most certainly not the only profession concerned about

By Michael Collins, AuD In a post earlier this year, I discussed what I believe to be audiology’s greatest enemy: Ourselves. One commenter, who seemed to agree with the overall premise of my post, quoted Karl Strom in response: “More than ever before, the professions of dispensing audiology and hearing aid specialists need each other. A joint convention—politically unthinkable just 10

By Lolly Wigall The calendar says spring.  But, where I live the official last frost date is May 31.  So, spring is a couple of months away.  It doesn’t matter to me that I can’t be outside playing in the dirt.  I am planning gardens, both at home and at the church.  Garden planning is a creative exercise for me. 

By Angela Loavenbruck, Ed.D. Over the past several months, the Crabby Audiologist has been doing a little historical review of Audiology’s transition from a tiny, barely known profession to one that’s made it onto the 10 Best Jobs List the last several years running. In that transition, no one can deny the importance of ASHA’s early work (1950’s and 60’s)

By Lolly Wigall I really like being an audiologist.  I enjoy helping people hear well.  I appreciate the technological changes that have taken place over my many years working as an audiologist. I like doing hearing tests and explaining the test results to patients and their families. I especially like selling and fitting hearing aids.  I really enjoy the listening part. 

By Angela Loavenbruck, Ed.D. Let’s have a talk about Medicare and Medicaid. If you are not crabby now, you will be by the time you finish reading this. The relationship between Medicare/Medicaid and audiology is not a pretty story. Way back in the early 60’s when the Medicare law was being written, audiology was a tiny profession – probably no

By Lolly Wigall When I first went into private practice in audiology, I remember being excited about promoting the “May Is Better Hearing and Speech Month” campaign. I had purchased my practice in August 1989, and I was planning on going all out for May 1990. Being a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), I ordered ASHA’s kit in January