At The Hill Hear Better Clinic, we want to help you do just that: hear better. And that means we aren?t simply here to sell you hearing aids. We take a holistic approach to treatment that factors your health and personal needs into your hearing care. In every appointment, we adhere to a strict protocol of best practices that helps us provide the best care possible. That?s why one particular procedure is so integral to our clinic: Real Ear Measures.
So what are they and how can they help you? Read on to learn more!
What are Real Ear Measures?
Our audiologists are experienced professionals who stay up to date with the latest research in hearing care. And by using cutting edge technology, they can provide you with the best hearing treatment possible.
One example of that technology is Real Ear Measures, also known as Probe Microphone Measures, Live Speech Mapping, or Hearing Aid Verification. Using advanced diagnostic computers, we can fit and fine-tune hearing aids to give you a truly personalized hearing solution. Put simply, Real Ear Measures or REM are a way to verify that your hearing aids are programmed correctly.
The ear is a small and complex organ and every one is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to hearing loss, but to find your unique solution, we have to find out what?s going on inside your ear. REM take all the guesswork out of fitting your hearing aid and measure the effectiveness of your sense of hearing directly at your eardrum. We?ll find out exactly how well the hearing aid is compensating for your hearing loss so we can adjust it accordingly.
REM aren?t just a gimmick or a luxury. In fact, they?re recommended by the American Academy of Audiology for all hearing aid fittings. When your audiologist uses REM, your hearing aids will achieve all-around better performance. Hearing aids fit with REM have been shown to improve speech intelligibility in noise and leave more patients satisfied with their hearing treatment.
What should I expect?
Real Ear Measures help us hone your hearing aids to exactly match your unique experience of hearing loss. Best of all, it?s a simple and painless process. As a part of your hearing evaluation, we?ll walk you through the whole procedure.
To start the process, we place a tiny probe microphone inside your ear. We?ll measure just how far into your ear it needs to be placed to be effective – and don?t worry, it won?t cause any harm! You?ll also wear your hearing aid on your ear during the procedure.
Next, we?ll start playing sound from a speaker directed toward you. Your hearing aid will pick up the sound and amplify it in your ear. The probe microphone, in turn, will pick up the sound the hearing aid has amplified and show that information on our computer screen. We?ll compare the hearing aid?s performance with your prescription in real time and fine-tune your device for maximum performance.
Want to take a deeper dive into how these measurements work? Watch Dr. Cliff?s detailed demonstration:
Why REM is one of our Best Practices
Real Ear Measures are one of the most important factors in your hearing treatment and are vital to getting the most out of your hearing aids. But not all hearing care providers use REM in their treatment plans. In fact, you?ll find REM in only about 30 percent of practices!
REM are a great example of the importance of best practices. Not all hearing care providers offer the same level of care. When you?re fitted with hearing aids by a provider that doesn?t use REM, they will most likely use estimates given by the manufacturer?s software for the amount of amplification you should need based on your level of hearing loss.
What does that mean? Basically, you?re getting a one-size-fits-all level of amplification. But as we said earlier, every experience of hearing loss is unique. If your provider doesn?t use REM to adjust your hearing aid to your exact prescription, then you won?t get the full value and benefit of your device. You won?t get the hearing loss treatment you need and deserve. Then the question is, what else is your provider not doing?
At The Hill Hear Better Clinic, we?re committed to best practices in hearing care. We?re proud to be a part of Doctor Cliff, Au.D.?s Best Practice Pro Network. The mission behind this nationwide network of audiologists is to help patients find the best hearing treatment by linking them with providers who are held to a high standard of care. Performing REM in every evaluation is one of those standards, but there are many more. Learn more about our best practices here!
Want to see the difference Real Ear Measures can make in your hearing treatment? Book an appointment at The Hill Hear Better Clinic today and get the most out of your hearing care!
