Santa Barbara Audiology

I sent a hearing aid in to the manufacturer for accidental damage today. It was under warranty and so the patient had to include an explanation of what happened on the claim form. Here’s what happened:

Hazards to hearing aids, other than cute kids with buckets of water, include the following:

The washer: Don’t put hearing aids in your pocket.

The salon: Don’t put a hearing aid in a tissue in your purse. Old tissues get thrown out.

Hospitals: Hearing aids can get lost in emergency situations where your life is the priority.

Dogs: If your hearing aid is on the night stand, your dog can hear the feedback. Upon canine investigation it is discovered that a hearing aid smells like you and that is apparently tasty.)

Hearing aids have a 2-3 year warranty and it can be extended up to 5 years. They usually last longer, but they’re like an old car at that point. They become unreliable because of exposure to heat, moisture, and wax. Hearing aids can often be repaired beyond 5 years, but not always because the parts may be discontinued.

There are a few manufacturers that make phone apps that can help you find a lost aid (currently Oticon and ReSound). It’s like GPS. It shows a map of the location of your hearing aid. When you go to the location you have a bar graph that goes up the closer you get.

A lot of people bring me their hearing test records in a folder, but I’ve never seen a folder like this:

I love it. Communication is a challenge even without a hearing loss. Best to have a sense of humor about it.

The Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology dates back to FDR. It was disbanded by Nixon, brought back in a minor form by Reagan, and renewed by George W Bush, who redesigned it to report directly to the president. The council’s job is to report new developments, research priorities, science education, and policy recommendations.

In 2015 PCAST delivered a report to president Obama on the hearing aid industry. The intent was to reduce cost, increase access, and spur innovation and competition. It’s a complicated topic and, for such a brief report, they did a great job covering it. The PCAST presentation and discussion was led by Christine K. Cassel, MD, an expert on geriatric medicine, medical ethics, and quality of care.

Here’s the link to her presentation and the following Council discussion:

Dr Cassel’s presentation on Aging America and Hearing Loss

A few thoughts:

Cassel says that a pair of hearing aids can be as much as $8000.  I’d expect hearing aids to cost not much more than $7000 for a pair.  The important thing you need to realize is that you don’t have to spend that much.  There are a lot of other excellent hearing aids that are lower, down to $2000 a pair.  The difference is the quality of speech in a background of noise.

Eric Lander said that hearing aid technology is “dramatically less sophisticated” than a smart phone.  I beg to differ.  Correcting  one of the 5 senses, especially treating losses, is more complicated that an operating system or app.   The labor involved in fitting hearing aid is more like fitting braces than fitting glasses.  Think about what it takes to get a phone.  You walk in , buy it, and walk out.  The level of expertise when you return for troubleshooting isn’t equivalent to a master’s degree or PhD – because it doesn’t need to be.

The final written PCAST report itself is here:

PCAST Report on Hearing Aids