Personal hearing aid software
I previously wrote about how letting hearing aid wearers program their own aids would be good thing. To briefly recap: I think that giving us wearers a simplified version of the software that audiologists use to program digital hearing aids to an individual’s requirements would allow us to get maximum benefit from our aids.
A comment from David made me realise I’d missed a few important things in that article and got me thinking some more….
One application to rule them all
As far as I am aware, the current situation is that each hearing aid manufacturer has their own software that an audiologist will use to adjust settings for their aids only. Having numerous different applications to use has many problems:
- The patient’s audiogram has to be loaded into each piece of software individually. In some cases, I have seen my audiologist enter it manually. This wastes time and there’s the possibility that the audiogram details may be entered incorrectly.
- The audiologist has to learn how to use all the different applications.
- Some applications may have specific features that the audiologist really likes and they’d like to be able to use them when fitting any aid brand.
- Each application has their own helpline. More number to remember and the audiologist may find themselves repeating the same problem to multiple helpline operators.
So, I’d really like to see an open standard for digital hearing aid connectivity and programming. If manufacturers collaborated on this they could save themselves time and money on software development, make audiologists lives easier AND produce a simplified version of the software for aid wearers.
I’d could go on and on here about how joint development and open standards could make better hearing aid software but this isn’t a software development blog so I’ll stop it there!
What you’re suggesting has been around for a fairly long while. NOAH does just what you’ve asked for and is supported by nearly all major manufacturers.
http://www.himsa.com/
and it’s free to most audiologists!
In Australia, hearing aids and audilology consults are free for pensioners (over 65 years or disabled), veterans and children under 16 years. Is that not the situation in the US? I see that you have US only websites sites where you can buy high end one size fits all hearing aids with money back guarantees - nextdayears (no affiliation) and superbhearingaids among them.
@Ed
Thanks for the information on NOAH, sounds interesting, I’ll check it out.
Would be nice, though, if software like NOAH was not just free to most audiologists but free to everyone.
NOAH is very expensive. It requires a n entire IT department as a support system.
This brings me to my point. A novice shouldn’t be programming their own hearing aids.
When will Audiologists and Hearing Aid Specialists be given the respect that they deserve? I think some people think that this is just a very easily learned profession and “anyone can do that”. Its no wonder that a large percentage of people who order online and through magazines to save a few dollars quit wearing their aids. They have no support, no one to turn to. Pay the piper. Checkups are free, support and training is free when you purchase from a reputable dealer or Audiologist. Lets not get the common person involved in things they shouldn’t be in. I wouldn’t want to operate on myself or care to learn how to.
I’d certainly agree with you, Brian, that NOAH does require and EXTRODINARY amount of ‘management’ and wastes all sorts of time as a change for one manufacturer will step on something from another. I should have added all of that in my first answer. Further, I fully agree that an end-user is going to wind up paying one way or another (time or money - or, when doing it by themself, probably both!) and I would never encourage someone to do that.
However, there are those people who are NEVER satisfied with anything unless they do it themselves. Since I’d posted about NOAH some nine months ago, I’ve now seen a company offering a ‘program-it-yourself’ deal on the web and ostensibly selling hearing aids much cheaper as a result. In fact, it was brought to my attention by a friend who is quite enamoured with being able to ‘tweak’ his hearing aids all of the time. I’ve told him that he’d be FAR better served dealing with a professional but he’s convinced he’s going to get something for nothing - and, frankly, he’s a fiddler who’d drive any professional office right up the wall crazy! There will not be a THING I can do to disuade him from this and, sadly, he’ll never realize that the hearing aid he’s gotten is probably FAR inferior to what he would have bought from a dealer or Audiologist. That notwithstanding, his time is seemingly irrelevant and if it weren’t this, he’d be rebuilding a car engine or something so I just shrug and he can do whatever he wants.Further, those selling hearing aids in my area would probably want to have me shot if I ever sent him to one of them.
Brian you said: “Checkups are free, support and training is free when you purchase from a reputable dealer or Audiologist”.
That sounds all well and good, but the fact remains a Audiologist isn’t going to take the time and effort that I the user would in adjusting my HA’s.
First off, you could be the greatest Audiologists in the world.. but the fact remains, if you and I hear the same identical sound.. you’re going to process and interpret that sound differently than I do. Also.. it’s most likely a assured bet that the sounds and daily situations that I’m in and hear are those that are drasticly different than yours. That being the case, how are you going to accomplish this adjustment miracle?
What does this all mean? It’s simple. You as a Audiologist aren’t going to pack up all your equipment and following me around for several days at a time as I go here.. and stop there.. adjusting and tweeking my HA’s. On the other hand, if I had a program that would allow me to make some minor adjustments to my HA’s, while at the same time having the ability to return to my original base settings.. then what’s the problem?
Oh.. you don’t like that idea. Well then, how about I come to your office and you program my HA’s. A day or two later I come back again to have them readjusted because they’re quite right and/or somethings just a little bit off. The next day I’m back again for more adjustments. It’s the weekend and on Sunday I need another adjustment/tweek. Are you going to open up your office to do this for me? NO! Hmmmmm. I thought so.
Now you see why in situations like this it would be not only a good idea to allow self adjusting, but better for everyone involved.
Shi-Ku Chishiki ShiKu.Chishiki@Gmail.com
NOHA is interesting, would like to find the other software mentioned. Also not mentioned is the necessary interface box and cable to the aid…s.. My self, I am a electronics eng. tech type and hard of hearing (to much good LOUD rock music) .
I agree 100% with all what Shi-Ku Chishiki says above.
We , hearing aid users/wearers, need software and interface to continue with our own adjustments. We want the freedom to do it whenever we need to do it and at home in our real and daily environment. It should be the normal thing to do, at least for those of us (or relatives) that are willing to learn the how to.
We cannot depend all the time on the audiologist . Regarding free checkups…uhmmm…I will check on that since I did get a bill for this third time after I purchased my Sonic Velocity 4(a pair) for $1450.
Thanks Shi-Ku Chishiki for your feed back .
L. Kilhefner
I just read an article that dealt with the stigma of wearing hearing aids and that forward thinking with products like the Siemens Vibe was a step in the right direction in overcoming the stigma.
At $5000 a pair it can easily be assumed that their impact will be small. If the industry is truly interested in increasing their market they might want to reconsider their protectionist position.
They appeared to be so closely aligned with the manufacturers that none will write comprehensive reviews. Yet they are using the rationale that by restricting sales to just them they will be able to provide all of the service the client requires. Repeating the makers hype is about the best that can be found and even that information is so limited so as to render it worthless.
If the only product the providers have is service then they should be willing to be judged by their service and not the price of the instrument they sell, which along with the stigma is what is stopping millions from using aids.
It would seem that they are not only their own worst enemies, but those of the hearing impaired as well. Until the industry changes its business model it will be the single most important factor in the number of those needing hearing aids and the number not getting them.
But, then the “common folks” might get involved, comparing an operation to adjusting hearing aids is an example of the lame thinking that runs through the industry. That people quit using aids because of a cheap product or their own mismanagement would serve more to send them to a professional, a concept that escapes many of them, than completely discourage them. They have no answer for those that don’t get them or can’t afford their “service” and turn to cheaper alternatives.