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Thanks for the AUD recommendation

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Edited

This is a big thank you for a discussion several months back on the value of being fitted by a doctor of audiology (AUD). If you have not done this, I encourage you to do so. The results are like the difference between night and day. I agree with a recent poster who said that it felt like getting new hearing aids. I found my audiologist through Dr. Cliff’s page. Entering your ZIP Code shows those who have been certified through his training program. There was only one in my town and she is absolutely awesome!!! I still purchase from Costco and get tested and fitted by their fitter. But now I follow that appointment with one to the AUD to refine the fitting. On my first visit, with my previous set, she suggested that I would benefit from molds. Wow!! What a difference, too. All the best on your hearing journey. Lastly, I need to update my test. My hearing, for some unknown reason is failing drastically.

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@Aster said:

. On my first visit, with my previous set, she suggested that I would benefit from molds. Wow!! What a difference, too

Looking at your posted , I’m suprised Costco didn’t recommmend molds.

@Aster said:

My hearing, for some unknown reason is failing drastically.

I’m sorry to see this. I’d suggest a visit to an to look for a cause, and possible remedy.

I’ve been to a doctor of audiology who didn’t recommend moulds and Costco who did. The doctor of audiology couldn’t get me out of there fast enough. I don’t think the degree on the wall guarantees a thing.

I’d like to think so but it doesn’t fit my experience. I suspect the business model of the practice has a lot to do with it.

Mm, yes. Surely an unpopular opinion among American clinicians, but I would suspect that a commission-based model reduces quality of care. That’s not to say that you cannot be someone working in a commission environment and provide good care, just that it is a pressure in the other direction. Probably also worse in the American system where come out of school swimming in debt, which is another force for profit over care. But on the other hand, education matters and that’s much more variable among . Experience matters, which is in some ways more focused and other ways more limited for HISs. Lots of factors.

The best professionals in all areas, I think, are those that just have an internal drive to be excellent. But I’m not sure how to screen for those.

Yes, developing “quality” is a challenge. In the US, at least in certain places RN pay has gone up notably. We now have people entering the profession for the money which I don’t think is a great idea. Even specifically focusing on “quality” has it’s problems. It always ends up focusing on some indicator and it’s almost always possible to game the system.

To me an ideal system would start the patient with something like Costco’s model with easy referrals to more advanced care.

In reply to @flashb1024

I regularly see an , an for ENT, Costco specialists who maintain my ’s, and now an AUD. In typing this response; I comes to me that I need to change ENTs. All of this is happening under his watch. I thank this forum for helping me to push for solutions and answers.

In reply to @Bimodal_user

@Bimodal_user said:

improvement is mainly because HearingUP! is association of Audis who follow best practices. I

I’m not gonna knock Hearing Up, butone should be aware that in order to get listed, they have to pay the good Dr. big bucks.

Cliff gives some good advice and info, but he’s really just another YouTube influencer, out for the bucks.

Can anyone advise how to find competent (instead of just registered and therefore meeting some basic audiology standards) hearing practitioners in places other than US (in my case Melbourne Australia)?
For over a decade I have been trying to find someone, and when I ask around I get referred to lists of registered audiologists. So far none I have tried have managed to assist me with speech recognition in typical high background noise situations (eg indoor restaurants, cafes, or anywhere indoors where numbers of conversations are underway). When I encounter a new audiologist the first thing I advise is that I need directional hearing aids, that will amplify sound coming from where I am looking, and suppress sound coming from other directions. I have paid a lot of money for one’s that specify this feature, but never noticed any directionality (one of the 2 major brands - only to later discover a subsidiary of that company had a Trade Practices conviction!). But they never fixed the problem.
PS: I can’t work out how to attach my to this reply.

Edited

Tough question. What’s your hearing loss like? Have you had any speech in noise testing which might give you a rough idea of your deficit? Do the audiologists act like you’re making a reasonable request? How many hours a day so you wear your hearing aids? For some people, hearing in high levels of background noise just isn’t going to happen without an accessory mic.

Is there any way I can attach my 2023 to this? It has a lot of info, but using audiology terminology I don’t understand. In brief, my left ear has greater hearing loss than my right - the aftermath of an incident in 2001 when I woke up with almost total loss of hearing in L ear. About 50% of the original has since returned. 250 - 2K Hz, ~35db loss R, 45 db L; 6K Hz 70 & 75 db.
Speech in noise tests have been done, I suspect the 2023 audiogram shows results if you understand the symbols.
Audiologists seem to not favour Roger mics, I have a Phonak Partner mic, which I often put on a lectern if I am in a lecture. But I haven’t used it much in social occasions, where I would have to be continually moving it from one speaker to another. Its very easy to switch on, so often switches on and the battery goes flat while I am carrying it, before getting to a place where I want it.
I wear my about 16 hours/day, charge them overnight.Audiologists generally haven’t seemed to be concentrating on noise reduction and directionality.

Yeah, speech in noise is brutal with a big asymmetry like that. Very often hearing aids cannot overcome it. The Roger On can be a decent tool, I’m not sure why they are avoiding it–price maybe?

Depending on your speech clarity on the left you may also be a cochlear implant candidate on that side, which might eventually improve speech in noise after considerable work.

In reply to @d_Wooluf

@d_Wooluf

There’s a fatal flaw. How do you get good hearing aids? Not everyone can set them up

Find a good audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.

If you don’t the hearing aids will be worse when they’re programmed by that person than a Target First Fit

The best of Audiologists help us here Thank you

Edited
@Aster said:

I still purchase from Costco and get tested and fitted by their fitter. But now I follow that appointment with one to the AUD to refine the fitting.

It I thought that hearing aids sold through Costco are “locked” and cannot be adjusted by anyone except Costco employees?

@happymach said:

hearing aids sold through Costco are “locked” and cannot be adjusted by anyone except Costco employees?

It’s amazing how long this urban myth hangs around, no only some ReSound models from yesteryear, is available on Costco .

Curious what your payment arrangement is with the Aud since you did not purchase your aids from them. Did you pay and “adoption” fee? How much did you have to spend in addition to what you spent at Costco?

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