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Family Hearing Aid Center Sets New Standards for Hearing-Aid Practices
Wed, 23 Aug 2006, 17:36:00 EDT
HONOLULU, Hawaii - Aug. 23 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The focus of the Family Hearing Aid Center is to rehabilitate patients using an evidence based practice that provides clinically-measured proof of hearing help.
 "Very few digital hearing aids can provide significant benefit with regard to understanding conversations in noise," Randy Wohlers, BC-HIS, president of the Family Hearing Aid Center, said. "Most people with normal hearing can understand someone talking to them, even with interfering noise that is louder than the voice. However, this task becomes very difficult for the hearing impaired, even with a mild, hearing loss."
*(Photo Caption: Randy Wohlers, BC-HIS and president of Family Hearing Aid Center.)
According to the team of experts at The Family Hearing Aid Center, a hearing instrument has to create a "positive signal to noise ratio" which means bringing the voice (the signal) of someone talking above the noise level.
"Some digital instruments are head and shoulders above others," Wohlers explained. "For example, some manufacturers that use sophisticated digital technology are capable of making a measurable difference and can actually bring the speech of someone talking above the noise level and measurably improve clarity or understanding. However, many hearing aids allude they can, when testing shows they cannot when it comes to measured performance on patients."
The Family Hearing Aid Center, also a research site for Sonic Innovations, has been conducting these measured-performance tests for the past four years. Many manufacturers initially led us to believe they had understanding in noise figured out, but using independent verification they soon discovered that often times they did not.
"All manufacturers provide their own software for programming their hearing aids," Wohlers explained, "so it often appears that they have done a good job. The only way to know that a patient is getting the benefit he or she needs is by clinical verification methods that are now available to check and measure the accuracy and performance of each hearing aid with respect to sound and speech performance - in quiet and noise."
The team at the Family Aid Hearing Center will agree that all hearing aids will sound fine in quiet, but so do inexpensive analog products. Many hearing aids even sound good in noise because they reduce the noise, but provide very little help in clearly understanding words.
"Purchasing a high-tech digital hearing aid is a major expense, so it is always best to inquire and make sure you are shown the actual, clinically-measured proof of the correction of your hearing loss, while actually in your ears," Wohlers said.
The Family Hearing Aid Center has received many requests from numerous clinics and private practices to provide their protocol to assist in setting up their own evidence-based practices, based on the company's model.
"Having hearing aids that can deliver measured benefit, especially in noisy environments, will make the difference between just hearing sounds and enjoying a meaningful conversation," Wohlers explained. "Only then will patients feel they have received their money's worth. And, when it really provides proven benefits, it's priceless."
Helen Keller once said, "Hearing is the deepest, philosophical sense man possesses."
For more information, visit: www.familyhearingaidcenter.com or contact: Randy Wohlers, BC-HIS, of Family Hearing Aid Center, 808-216-2747.
NEWS SOURCE: Family Hearing Aid Center
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REFERENCES: Family Hearing Aid Center Sets New Standards for Hearing-Aid Practices, Randy Wohlers, BC-HIS, Hawaii Family Hearing Aid Center, baby boomers, digital hearing aid, Aug 23, 2006.
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