Question
Why should hearing healthcare professionals prioritize custom hearing solutions over traditional "off-the-shelf" products, and what foundational protocols ensure successful patient outcomes?
Answer
The key difference in the patient experience is the professional themselves and the key role you play in ensuring that your patient has the best hearing experience over the course of time. Research indicates that the hearing professional is the most important piece of the ability to achieve hearing aid delight. While over 80% of individuals want custom technology, these products only represent about 10 to 20% of fittings worldwide. Consumers expect personalization as a standard of service, and for many, this isn't just a cosmetic interest, but also an acoustic benefit. By using the natural concha and the ear canal anatomy, custom devices may avoid the insertion loss seen with over-the-ear products, allowing patients to take advantage of natural sound transmission, the ability to localize, and the spatialization of speech and sound.
To craft this personalized experience, a professional should consider offering custom products, selecting the style based on the patient's audiogram, anatomy, dexterity and personal preferences when appropriate. Custom hearing aids range from the IIC (Invisible-in-the-Canal), which is the smallest custom product available, to the larger ITC and Full Shell products that may offer more features like user controls, rechargeable power or 2.4 gigahertz technology.
Success is largely dependent on the impression process. A practice should have a protocol for the impression process to ensure consistent behavior. Taking a good patient history is essential to identify risks such as diabetes, immunocompromised status, or the use of blood-thinning medications. When selecting materials, silicone is the material of choice as it delivers the most accurate representation of the ear. Cotton is the preferred oto block choice because it can be flattened to gain more space in the ear canal. During the injection, it is important that the syringe tip remains embedded in the material until the impression is complete to ensure it meets the oto block. Finally, you should break the seal before impression removal to release the vacuum pressure that occurs by completely occluding the ear.
Figure 1. Natural Resonance vs Style
Summary of Key Findings:
- Professional Impact: The provider's expertise, including their role in counseling and verification, is the primary driver of patient delight.
- Acoustics: Custom devices preserve the natural pinna effect and ear canal resonance, which are lost with behind-the-ear (BTE) or receiver-in-canal (RIC) styles.
- Impression Quality: Success relies on impressions that offer a complete canal, concha and helix as well as a critical examination of the impression for voids or gaps before shipping to the manufacturer.
To learn more about Custom Hearing Solutions, you can check out this CEU course.
