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20Q: Today's Use of Validated Prescriptive Methods for Fitting Hearing Aids - What Would Denis Say?

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1.  In this article, Denis refers to: the acronym: Decibels Non-Linear In SPL Denis Byrne, Australian audiologist who helped develop the NAL fitting algorithm an early prototype non-linear hearing aid referred to as Project Denis Gus Mueller's shaggy dog named Denis

2.  Leavitt & Flexer (2012) found that when hearing aids were re-programmed from a manufacturer's proprietary formula to NAL-NL1 targets: there were no significant changes in QuickSIN SNR score Individuals will do much better for speech understanding in noise (QuickSIN SNR scores of 7-10 dB) manufacturers' fitting algorithms provided the best possible word recognition in noise scores none of the above

3.  NAL-R was introduced in: 1986 1996 2006 2012

4.  Which of the following is not a validated prescriptive method for fitting hearing aids? DSL NAL Manufacturers' first fit or best fit All of the above are validated prescriptive method for fitting hearing aids

5.  The author provides evidence that most people fitting hearing aids today: use probe microphone measures to verify the fitting in the earcanal re: NAL-NL2 targets use probe microphone measures to verify the fitting in the earcanal re: DSL targets fit to NAL-NL1 targets as verified by measuring output in the earcanal select the manufacturer's default fitting algorithm and do not conduct real ear measurements

6.  Limitations of fitting to manufacturers' proprietary algorithms include: limited if any published data on these algorithms they result in lower than optimal word recognition in quiet and noise both A and B none of the above

7.  When the NAL targets are below a patient's threshold, this means: you will get a better fitting using the manufacturer's algorithm depending on the audiogram, the peaks of speech may still be audible if you fit to target, and it is unlikely simply adding more gain at that frequency will result in significantly more audibility that applying more gain may result in feedback so it's better to scale it back all of the above

8.  Clicking "NAL" in hearing aid manufacturers' fitting software will most often result in a fit that is matched to: NAL-R targets NAL-NL1 targets NAL-NL2 targets none of the above

9.  The author suggests that trainable hearing aids: when fit to a validated method like NAL that optimizes audibility, will be close to those targets after a period of training can be fit by any method as the patient will train to a level that provides maximum word recognition can be fit to any method as long the patient doesn't return the hearing aids for credit should only be fit by clinicians who do not use probe microphone measurements so that patients can determine an optimal fitting for themselves

10.  According to the author, most audiologists and hearing aid dispensers do not fit hearing instruments using validated, prescriptive methods because: these methods are not recommended by hearing aid fitting protocols these methods are still experimental these methods have not been proven to result in better outcomes none of the above