Why Should Fittings be Verified and Validated?

Question

Answer

Less than 12% of targets on the manufacturer's fitting software screen match what is actually measured in the patient's ear. The fitting software often overestimates the gain in the higher frequencies and may not be indicative of the maximum output. The target gain settings in the software are simulated values based on the patient's audiogram, representing the amount of gain the manufacturer would expect someone with an average ear size to obtain. Therefore, an individual patient can be expected to receive more gain than shown in the software if they have a smaller-than-average ear, and less gain if they have a larger-than-average ear. Further, the target settings may not be adequate for patient benefit, especially in regards to speech intelligibility. An online survey showed that 70% of audiologists who responded program their patient's hearing aids using the manufacturer's "first fit" settings. Since "first fit" gains may not be giving enough gain for some users, and the "first fit" targets may be less than the actual gains in the ear, patients may not be receiving enough amplification for improved speech intelligibility and benefit. Verification and validation measures ensure that the hearing aids are providing the appropriate amounts of amplification, and that the amplification they provide is actually benefitting the patient in daily life.

Dr. Rena Appleby is part of the Global Audiology team at ReSound and works at the R&D facility based in Glenview, IL. Learn more about ReSound at https://www.gnresound.com or on the ReSound web channel on AudiologyOnline.