Hearing Aid Verification

Question 1

verification:

Answer 1

REMS’s, RECD’ checking your hearing aids and setting them up.

Question 2

Validation:

Answer 2

This is checking if the way that you set things up is beneficial for the child. Speech testing, aided testing, questionnaires.

Question 3

Hearing Aid features:

Answer 3

• Types of HA & ear moulds
• Colour of HA and ear moulds
• Feedback management
• Optional programmes
• Fixed or adaptive microphones
• Data logging and lights on HA
• FM compatibility
• Tamper proof battery doors
• Tube locks
• HA retention devices
• Paediatric hooks

Question 4

Why are HA features important for paediatric patients?

Answer 4

Indicator light = indicate low battery to parents.
Tamper proof battery doors = so they do not eat batteries.
Feedback manager = to control the feedback for the child.
Colours and design = more likely and enticing for the child to wear.
Paediatric hooks and ear mould = acoustically correct and make sure it fits.
FM System and Roger system – microphone system to help in schools so they can hear the teacher.

Question 5

Verification: what are the two types?

Answer 5

RECD and REM
Real Ear Coupler Difference. Unable to sit till and needs to be quick so they do not have to be complaint.

REM
Real Ear Measurer
Able to sit till and the child is compliant.

Question 6

What are RECD’s?

Answer 6

this is the difference between the SPL in the real ear and the Splash in the 2cc coupler.
PTA will need to be done using inserts for correct transform to dbSPL.
should be changed and measured every time a child needs a mould.
You can always do it one ear that has wax.

Question 7

RECD Process:

Answer 7

1. Do your REM calibration like you would do normally.
2. You have an additional tube not he REM tube, which you would place in the coupler. You then record the coupler response.
3. Attach the insert into the patients ear mould and put the REM tube and the ear mould in the patients ear. You then do a real ear recording.
4. The software will workout the difference and you will get RECD.

Question 8

go over how RECD peaks usually look like?

Answer 8

CHECK IPAD.

Question 9

Type of validation in paediatric?

Answer 9

Speech Testing:
- McCormick Toy Test
- Manchester Picture Card
- AB word list
- Ling Test

Questionnaires:
- LittleEars
-PEACH
-LSQ

Aided gain:
Soundfield testing with their hearing aids on, to see an improvement in hearing. This measures the miniimal response levels at specific frequencies using a stimuli. very simple but poor reliability

Question 10

Speech testing:

Answer 10

You want to know if their speech is audible and can it be understood. This helps inform on quality of the HA fitting and provides rueful information for HA fitting and fine tuning.
simple repition however its monosyllabic words which is not like ‘real life’

Question 11

What are the uses and limitations of speech testing:

Answer 11

not too hard or to boring for the child to perform.
need to be sensitive enough to pick up the difference (aided vs unaided)
demonstrate the benefit of hearing for the child/parent.

Limitations:
not to be used in isolation.
need to make sure that the aid is verified by RECD or REMS
Child needs to understand vocabulary and be intelligible. Also test conditions.
Live voices are limited to particular level, typically 40dB.

Question 12

Parrot:

Answer 12

portable automated speech.
Used in speech testing as it consists of a loudspeaker, a boxed MCCormick toy test.

Question 13

What is live voice testing? + and -

Answer 13

+ test done in natural communication situation
visual cues can be used
non-intrusive a minimum equipment

• accurate monitoring of voice levels are difficult
  not a test below 35/40 dBA in life setting
  people have different accents and child may struggle with it.