Boots Audiology Experience

I had an appointment with Boots HearingCare recently for a hearing test and to look into new hearing aids. Overall the experience was somewhat lacking in detail and information and certainly not sufficient to justify spending several thousands of pounds with them on new hearing aids.

The hearing test was as expected, usual basic hearing test with bone conduction for one ear. The audiologist talked through the results at a high level, this was sufficient for my needs as someone who has had hearing aids for sometime so I understand an .

The main problem was with information on hearing aids. No options were discussed, she programmed a set of ‘trial’ hearing aids she had ready and gave them to me to try. Made one adjustment to the basic set up then asked what colour I wanted.

I asked for information on the hearing aids (Phonak Paradise 90), and in particular why she was suggesting the highest technology level. The answer was just they have more programs. No information on any of the features, no information on differences between the different aids.

She admitted a lack of knowledge of hearing aid technology and did not seem to understand all the adjustments that could be made to ensure programming was tailored to my needs. No speech recognition test was performed.

S0, the basics were covered (hearing test, aids programmed to the audiogram) but not the sort of service I’d expect to justify a significant outlay, and I have no confidence in the ability of the audiologist to tweak programming as needed to ensure I can hear as well as possible with these aids.

How does this align with other people’s experience in Boots (or maybe Specsavers as an equivalent High Street retailer)? I certainly don’t think I’d be getting what I’m paying for if I buy from Boots, I might as well buy these for several hundred pounds less online and program myself given the lack of knowledge/support in Boots.

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Raudrive

Texas Hill Country

I agree with you.
Your assessment is pretty good. Maybe a second opinion would help.
It’s your hard earned money.

tinkyp

I would say trust your instincts and I have found that I didn’t get the skill needed from some high street branches including Boots. If you are after a specific brand it may be worth seeking an independent who specialises in them. For me, as I wear Widex, I found Bloom best placed to fit them properly and understand the programming options in depth. Also to provide the right level of aftercare and servicing from the manufacturer. Boots sometimes use a cheaper repair option outside of warranty which doesn’t give the same results.

zebra1922Author

My current plan is to use them for a trial of the Phonak P90, and at the end of the 60 days return them.

I can then either buy online and program myself (when I have them on trial I can download whatever is programmed the aids and use that on any that I buy) or go elsewhere and try a different brand. For self programming, although I don’t really know what I’m doing, it’s clear I’ll do no worse than Boots so why pay £500 for the privilege?

I did go to a really good audiologist pre lockdown, unfortunately their prices are quite high, I’ve asked if they can come down a little. I’d be happy to pay them more than Boots for the good service they provide, but not sure I can justify £1,000 more.

Um_bongoProvider

Wales, UK

In reply to @tinkyp

Bloom isn’t an independent either. They’ll use minimum price servicing options outside of warranty too.

Edit; Thinking about it even more, who would Boots repairs go anywhere outside of the Sonova supply chain in Warrington? They have a factory there making U.K. and European product. Most Sonova repairs () are just done as swapouts anyway.

Um_bongoProvider

Wales, UK

In reply to @zebra1922

In fairness if they are paying wholesale nearly what you pay at retail from Boots, how do they operate?

Scottish Highlands

Hi @zebra1922, you will be hard pushed to beat their £2.4k for the pair, fully fitted at Boots, buying online? I have a wonderful at Boots, trained I believe with the NHS, so she is very experienced, and nothing is ever a too much bother… You will need Noah Link Wireless hardware, and Target 7.1 software, if you are planning self-programming? Boots prices are cheap in comparison to other High Street hearing aid sellers, their margins must be wafer thin, as Um_bongo rightly says;

@Um_bongo said:

In fairness if they are paying wholesale nearly what you pay at retail from Boots, how do they operate?

You mention, word recognition score, it is something rightly or wrongly never done to my knowledge, here in the UK, never once in 30 odd years, going to both private and NHS AuD’s have I ever had a word recognition score done, with 2 exceptions, which were “Cochlear Implant Assessments”… I don’t know if Um_bongo does , or perhaps he might give his take on them? Good Luck with your trial, cheers Kev

That’s odd a word recognition score wouldn’t be performed. It’s, at least in the US, a standard part of an .

Scottish Highlands

It is not done here in the UK @eskie227, and in the 10 years or so that have frequented this forum, I do not recall anyone saying they had a done for any standard hearing test in the UK…. There are most likely some ’s out there in this country whom do, it may be just I haven’t heard of them, perhaps it is an Americanism, or perhaps the insist it is best practice…… Does Costco do WRS in the States, or is it the usual bog standard booth test? Perhaps if the do the WRS test, they may do it in Costco UK? Cheers Kev

I haven’t used Costco, so I can’t vouch for how they do it, but my expectation is they do. To my knowledge, (almost all, I’m sure there may be exceptions out there) medical insurance carriers, including Medicare, will cover the cost of testing as a diagnostic procedure if ordered by an doctor, even if they don’t cover themselves. A standard diagnostic by definition would need or be considered inadequate for diagnosis and not be reimbursed.

To get my insurance to cover one HA (guess they figure one is better than none) I first had to see an ENT doc. It was appropriate, as I had seriously impacted cerumen in both ears that needed two sessions to clear (vacuumed once, then a week of peroxide drops to soften up the crap still stick to my eardrum and another vacuuming, no way to properly test my hearing without that done). Then I had a referral to the Aud for an audiogram and evaluation for my hearing loss. They covered the ENT visits, audiology “consult” and testing. Then the Aud was able to make a recommendation of a HA based on what my insurance would cover. I ended up having to pay for the second HA myself, but it beat paying for two.

Obviously not everyone sees an ENT doc before getting HAs. But even if you go for evaluation of your hearing to an Aud and get an audiogram, that cost can reimbursed if you’re billed for it. Folks can check with their carrier and ask the Aud for a bill to submit, but typically if you’re walking in and heading straight to a HA purchase, or even a “consult” for one, the Aud will just view that as a free service and not bill. It might still be worth asking about splitting that out to get at least something back, even if you’re not covered for HAs themselves.

williamshetty

In reply to @kevels55

I had a speech test done on my last appointment with the NHS when I got my Oticon Engage. They didn’t tell me the results but that was the first time in 30 years of wearing hearing aids that the NHS have done a speech test.

Scottish Highlands

That’s interesting @williamshetty, perhaps a new method of testing, and more akin to the American model, but if it helps them to understand you and other folks hearing loss, even slightly, then that’s an improvement worth having! Thank you for that info, I am much obliged…. Cheers Kev

jtatkin

In reply to @williamshetty

How are you finding NHS Oticon engage? The is better than the Phonak P90R I’m trialling but think my hearing is better with Phonak aids but then they are expensive.

zebra1922Author

~Although speech recognition may not be common in the UK it was offered when I went to The Hearing Clinic in Glasgow 18 months ago. The service was night and day compared to Boots, lots of explanation, lots of adjustments and discussion of how he could tweak programming to ensure I heard as well as possible.

Scottish Highlands

Hi @zebra1922, you are always going to find it difficult to compare discount services like “Boots Hearing Care”, and Specsavers, we go there because they are cheaper, and yes you will probably get a more intensive service with “The Hearing Clinic”, but that comes at a more premier price, like all things in life, you get what you pay for… Boots offer interest free credit, payable over 2 years, with wafer thin margins, they are looking for a high turnover of clients. Specsavers are very similar, and ever so slightly cheaper again! The real bargains are probably with Costco in Glasgow, I believe they have a hearing centre there, I don’t know if they have the KS10’s in stock there yet, but if they do, that is a rebranded Phonak Paradise rechargeable @ around £1400 or so for the pair, with a 3-year warranty, I believe? And you should get at least a 3-month trial, fully refundable if you are not satisfied? Although, you have to join Costco UK… BTW, it’s a “Word Recognition Score” abbreviated as “”, around this forum, it can get a tadge technical, there a few Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers whom frequent these pages. “Good Luck” in your quest. Cheers Kev

williamshetty

In reply to @jtatkin

I have never worn Phonak. My hospital have always handed out Oticon. These are my first Bluetooth / hearing aids tho.

A little off topic but I found this site after I got my . I guess I became more curious after I started to wear them and stumbled in here. Given the experiences some have had, I kinda lucked out that I managed to navigate to a good solution for my own hearing loss. Now I can see how many pitfalls there can be in going from the decision of “yes, I need help hearing”, to the point of ending up with a solution that works for you without a struggle.

I’ve certainly learned a lot, and am grateful I ended up having a good experience and a good outcome.

Scottish Highlands

You are fortunate if you find a solution @eskie227, most of us in the severe/profound threshold basically make do…… That is not to say I feel bitter, I don’t, the biggest gift you can give to yourself is excepting your loss, it is the only way to move on! Hearing Aids will never replace what you have lost, they are essentially assistive listening devices and nothing more, we just adapt and communicate as best we can, and yes we would struggle badly without them, but even with them, in acoustically challenging situations we will have to look for other clues in order to communicate! Human beings are very resourceful, and we normally rise to the challenges of life, hearing loss is just another obstacle, we just look for a way to circumvent…… Been on this forum for probably over 10 years or so, it has some wonderfully clever and resourceful inhabitants, and I have probably forgotten more than I have learned We have a common bond, that binds us into likeminded souls, we have the gift of understanding, because we have literally walked in each other’s shoes…… And yes, at times we feel down, we feel drained, we feel isolated, but on this forum I think for some we feel at home…… Cheers Kev

@kevels55 oh I consider myself quite fortunate that my hearing loss is not anything near as bad as what many here have struggled with for decades. My apologies if it seemed otherwise. I meant no offense. I’ve learned a great deal about the struggles of living with profound hearing loss and am happy that technology continues to evolve to offer better solutions. Even for me, I don’t feel that my hearing is “cured”, or restored, but improved enough that I can enjoy most of what I have lost. While no one here may ever return to “normal “, it’s encouraging that help is available to improve the quality of life lost with profound hearing loss.

Scottish Highlands