It May Meet Your Standards, but Does It Meet Mine?

By Lindsey E. Jorgensen and Jacynda M. Gellhaus

This article is a part of the July/August 2022, Volume 34, Number 4, Audiology Today issue. 

What is the first thing we hear from most of our patients? “I can’t hear in background noise.” So, what do we do about it? We order hearing aids with directional microphones, but do we really know that the devices are functioning the way we think they should? Do the hearing aids, which we prescribe, provide adequate gain? Are the hearing aids meeting the device specifications as expected? Are the microphones working the way we expect? When the patient tells us that they hear poorly in background noise, is it the device or the patient? Independent verification of hearing aids by audiologists demonstrates the necessity of our services and ensures that the devices we are delivering accurately provide benefit. Audiologists possess the knowledge and understanding of signal processing, the functionality of assistive technology, and the impact of perception of sounds. If we, as audiologists, are not making use of our scientific knowledge behind hearing aid technology by practicing verification, our utilization may be diminished. If we are making recommendations of technology with the goal of meeting our patients’ primary needs, verification of the technology is critical.