AudiologyOnline Phone: 800-753-2160


Signia Xperience - September 2024

When Should I Use Trainable Hearing Aids with My Patients?

Carol Meyers, AuD

October 7, 2013

Share:

Question

Can you give me an example of how you might implement the automatic acclimatization feature for a hearing aid patient? 

 

Answer

I think that the majority of professionals are using automatic acclimatization with individuals who are relatively new to amplification or who may not be able to readily return for follow-up visits.  For new wearers, the automatic increase in gain allows them to start adjusting to amplification without being overwhelmed.  For individuals who have difficulty returning for office visits or who may travel to a different climate for part of the year, the hearing aid will gradually change without the need to return to the office for a manual gain adjustment.  Remember, the goal of this feature is to start the wearer at a comfortable gain level for immediate acceptance and then very gradually and automatically move to a level where the gain setting will allow for improved audibility and speech intelligibility. 

When thinking about implementing the acclimatization manager feature for the wearer, it is always best to examine your starting goal, as well as your end goal.  This can easily be accomplished using one of our default settings or setting an individualized target in the software.  Considerations for activating this feature include age, cognitive abilities, previous exposure to amplification and how quickly the wearer can move through this acclimatization process.  In the Siemens fitting software, there is flexibility to set the time frame for the changes to occur over one week, two weeks, four weeks, two months, or six months.  If the wearer is averaging 10 hours of wear-time a day, then they will complete the acclimatization process in the amount of time specified.  If they are wearing the hearing aid more or less than 10 hours, it will take a bit more or less time to reach that ending point. 

The acclimatization manager is one example of the many features within the hearing aid that can serve the individual needs of the wearer.

For more information on this topic, please refer to the Siemens Expert Series recorded webinar, Trainable Hearing Aids – Friend or Foe of the Clinician?presented by Gus Mueller, Ph.D.


carol meyers

Carol Meyers, AuD

Clinical Education Program Manager

Dr. Meyers is the Clinical Education Program Manager for Signia.  In her role to support the Clinical Education Team and the Government Services Team in the US, she creates educational materials related to products, technology, software, services, and audiology-related topics. She provides product, software and telehealth training to staff and customers in the US.  She is the lead for the planning and execution of continuing education courses and online courses/podcasts, including The Expert Series, which reaches a growing number of hearing care professionals each year. Prior to joining the Signia clinical education team (then Siemens Hearing Instruments) in 2007, Dr. Meyers dedicated more than 25 years to clinical practice, during which she attained a comprehensive understanding of diagnostics, hearing aid technology, and how to address the communication needs of individuals.  Dr. Meyers holds a doctorate degree in Audiology from Arizona School of Health Sciences and graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Nebraska.


Related Courses

Signia Xperience: The Evolution Continues
Presented by Leanne Powers, AuD, Carol Meyers, AuD
Recorded Webinar
Signia

Presenters

Leanne Powers, AuDCarol Meyers, AuD
Course: #33558Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'Well presented- to the point'   Read Reviews
Creating a natural hearing experience in every situation has been at the forefront of Signia technology. Now we can better understand the environment by using advanced analysis of the acoustical situation and enable individuals to hear what matters to them! Explore the new technology, form factors and applications available on the Xperience platform.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Hearing Care During the Pandemic - Signia Solutions
Presented by Carol Meyers, AuD, Lisa Perhacs, AuD
Recorded Webinar
Signia

Presenters

Carol Meyers, AuDLisa Perhacs, AuD
Course: #36055Level: Intermediate0.5 Hours
  'content was important due to the challenges faced during the pandemic'   Read Reviews
Dealing with a pandemic brings new considerations to hearing aid fittings. This webinar will look at a practical approach to providing hearing care during challenging times – use of reduced contact through a blended care approach. Additionally, learn about Signia products, the Signia App with Face Mask Mode and Signia Assistant, and general suggestions for you and your patients.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Auditory Wellness: What Clinicians Need to Know
Presented by Brian Taylor, AuD, Barbara Weinstein, PhD
Audio
Signia

Presenters

Brian Taylor, AuDBarbara Weinstein, PhD
Course: #36608Level: Intermediate0.5 Hours
  'i loved the podcast format'   Read Reviews
As most hearing care professionals know, the functional capabilities of individuals with hearing loss are defined by more than the audiogram. Many of these functional capabilities fall under the rubric, auditory wellness. This podcast will be a discussion between Brian Taylor of Signia and his guest, Barbara Weinstein, professor of audiology at City University of New York. They will outline the concept of auditory wellness, how it can be measured clinically and how properly fitted hearing aids have the potential to improve auditory wellness.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Understanding Patient Empowerment Along the Hearing Health Journey
Presented by Brian Taylor, AuD, Sarah Gotowiec, PhD
Audio
Signia

Presenters

Brian Taylor, AuDSarah Gotowiec, PhD
Course: #37890Level: Intermediate0.5 Hours
  'great topic'   Read Reviews
Most clinicians recognize the importance of empowerment in the patient journey, but do they know what it really means for a patient to feel empowered? Find out in this engaging and informative podcast with WSA research scientist, Sarah Gotowiec, PhD, who reviews the five dimensions of patient empowerment and how clinicians can apply her research to empower patients more effectively throughout the patient journey. This recent open access article is the focus of her discussion: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2021.1915509

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Signia Expert Series: Hearing Aid Fitting Nuggets Mined From Recent Research
Presented by H. Gustav Mueller, PhD
Recorded Webinar
Signia

Presenter

H. Gustav Mueller, PhD
Course: #37894Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'Information will help us help others hear better'   Read Reviews
Each year, over 300 articles are published in professional journals related to the function and fitting of hearing aids. Some are rather esoteric, but others have data that provide unique fitting tips that can be applied on Monday morning! We'll review the key findings of some of this emerging research that hopefully will be useful to you and beneficial for your patients.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Our site uses cookies to improve your experience. By using our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.