Hearing Instrument Candidacy

To fit a hearing instrument? Or, not fit a

hearing instrument?

More precisely, when should the Hearing

Instrument Specialist advise a

hearing/communication challenged

individual to pursue hearing instruments?

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

The Better Hearing Institute (betterhearing.org) has provided decades of research regarding the hearing impaired market in the United States.

The fundamental results consistently reveal that there are more than twice the number of those that should be wearing hearing instruments compared to those actually own them.

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

There are two broad aspects addressing the candidacy question. They are:

1. Is the candidate deaf enough?

2. Is the candidate too deaf?

Neither of these questions may be quantified/answered based solely upon audiogram information.

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

Besides the audiogram, there are eight other factors to define when investigating the candidacy for hearing instruments. They are:

1) Acceptance of the hearing loss/past the denial stage of loss, 2) Need to function effectively with audibility, 3) Current circumstances/consequences which have resulted due to the hearing loss, 4) Self image, 5) Expected benefit—not encouraged by others, 6) Have been “coerced” by others to purchase hearing instruments 7) Uncertainty of success with hearing instrument use,

8) Cost vs. perceived benefit.

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

Let’s take a moment and each of us rate

these factors in the order of what we

each individually believe would be most

to least important when considering the

use of hearing instruments.

(number 1 being the most important)

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

The number of hours/day of hearing

instrument use is influenced by the

audiogram results i.e. the greater the

hearing loss the more dependant one

becomes upon hearing instrument use.

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

However, one recent study revealed 90

out of 98 people with less than twenty

decibel pure tone average hearing loss;

after six months of use, continued to

wear their hearing instruments on a daily

basis and considered them a worthwhile

investment.

Hearing Instrument Candidacy

We will study in more detail each of the eight factors regarding hearing instrument use/candidacy next week. You might “poll” some of your friends and family over the week-end regarding their order placement of these eight factors for hearing instrument candidacy.

Are there other factors to consider?