Ask the Experts | Hearing Aids - Adults | Assistive Devices | Bluetooth Compatible Stethoscope Bluetooth Compatible Stethoscope A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA June 18, 2012 Print Question Is there anything new available for medical professionals with hearing loss who need to use stethoscopes? It seems the only viable options are unappealing oversized headphones, uncomfortable adaptors, or taking hearing aids out. Answer Thanks for your question. For an overview of this topic, please see the article, Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing Loss. Since that article was published, however, a new solution has become available.The Audiologist's Choice® Amplified Stethoscope is designed to wirelessly transmit heart and lung sounds directly to the communication devices (i.e. streamer) that accompany most hearing instruments. The streamer, in turn, delivers body sounds directly to the hearing instruments. The Audiologists's Choice® Amplified Stethoscope has been successfully paired during field trials to the Phonak iCom, Siemens miniTek, Widex M-DEX and Hansaton i-com2 (NOTE: this does not represent an exhaustive list of hearing instruments that will work wirelessly with the Audiologist's Choice® Bluetooth Electronic Stethoscope). Designed primarily for use with hearing instruments accompanied with wireless streamers, an audio-in cable is packaged with the device in the event the amplifier of the stethoscope will not successfully pair with the streamer. The audio-in cable may be used to connect the amplifier to the streamer, permitting wireless communication of body sounds from the streamer to the hearing instruments. For more information, check out the Audiologist's Choice® Amplified Stethoscope via www.oaktreeproducts.com or see my blog write up, aubankaitis.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/ac-stethoscope/ on this product.A.U. Bankaitis, PhD, is Vice President of Oaktree Products, Inc., a multi-line distributor of audiology and hearing-related products based in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Bankaitis is an audiologist who has been involved in educating colleagues about various practical aspects of clinical practice. Access and subscribe to Dr. Bankaitis' blog for the latest info on product solutions and other topics related to audiology at aubankaitis.wordpress.com A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA Vice President, Oaktree Products, Inc. A.U. Bankaitis, PhD is Vice President of Oaktree Products, Inc of St. Louis, MO, a multi-line distributor of audiology and hearing health care products. Dr. Bankaitis earned her doctorate from the University of Cincinnati in 1995 where her funded research investigated the effects of varying degrees of HIV on the auditory system. This research naturally led to the area of infection control. Dr. Bankaitis is considered one of the leading experts in this area as it pertains to the hearing industry, authoring numerous infection control publications including the popular text book Infection Control in the Audiology Clinic. none Related Courses Presenter A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing Loss [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #15879 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; AHIP/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; Calif. HADB/1.0 Hearing Aid Related; IHS/1.0; Kansas DHE, LTS-S0035/1.0 Cost: Free to View For medical professionals with hearing loss, the routine use of traditional stethoscopes inherently creates several challenges. The presence of a hearing loss may prohibit the ability to actually hear necessary heart, lung, and/or bowel sounds for differential diagnosis. While amplified stethoscopes designed to compensate for hearing loss are commercially available, medical professionals who are current users of amplification are faced with additional challenges that may preclude the successful use of amplified stethoscopes in conjunction with hearing instrumentation. The goal of this article is to provide audiologists with an overview of viable stethoscope options for people with hearing loss, while also addressing associated limitations for purposes of facilitating realistic expectations. Course Details Presenter A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing Loss [Recorded Course] Course: #18146 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; AHIP/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; Calif. HADB/1.0 Hearing Aid Related; IHS/1.0; Kansas DHE, LTS-S0035/1.0 Cost: Free to View For medical professionals with hearing loss, the routine use of traditional stethoscopes inherently creates several challenges. The presence of a hearing loss may prohibit the ability to actually hear necessary heart, lung, and/or bowel sounds for differential diagnosis. While amplified stethoscopes designed to compensate for hearing loss are commercially available, medical professionals who are current users of amplification are faced with additional challenges that may preclude the successful use of amplified stethoscopes in conjunction with hearing instrumentation. The goal of this seminar is to provide audiologists with an overview of viable stethoscope options for people with hearing loss, while also addressing associated limitations for purposes of facilitating realistic expectations. Course Details Presenter A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA Hearing Assistance Technology: Integrating HATs into Clinical Practice [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #9580 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Introductory; ACAud/0.1; AHIP/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; CASLPA/1.0; IHS/1.0; Kansas DHE, LTS-S0035/1.0 Cost: Free to View Hearing Assistance Technology (HAT) encompasses a broad array of devices designed to facilitate the reception of auditory information (Thibodeau, 2004). The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of effective strategies as to how to facilitate patient buy-in of these products with minimal investment of time and money. Course Details Presenter A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA How to Integrate Hearing Assistance Technology (HAT) into your Practice [Recorded Course] Course: #9606 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Introductory; ACAud/1.0; AHIP/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; CASLPA/1.0; IHS/1.0; Kansas DHE, LTS-S0035/1.0 Cost: Free to View Hearing Assistance Technology (HAT) encompasses a broad array of devices designed to facilitate the reception of auditory information (Thibodeau, 2004). The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of effective strategies as to how to facilitate patient buy-in of these products with minimal investment of time and money. Course Details Presenter A. U. Bankaitis, PhD, FAAA Alarming Facts About Smoke Detectors [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #15634 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.2 Intermediate; ACAud/0.2; AHIP/2.0; BAA/2.0; CAA/2.0; Calif. HADB/2.0 Ethics/Business Practices; IHS/2.0; Kansas DHE, LTS-S0035/2.0 Cost: Free to View The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of smoke detector technology. Pertinent issues pertaining to limitations of commercially available residential smoke detector technology as it relates to individuals with hearing loss will be outlined, including viable options to consider for this specific patient population. Course Details
