Hearing aid technology for remote assistance
Get your hearing aids adjusted remotely with this great piece of new hearing aid technology – thanks to Bluetooth.
A new element to hearing aid after care has been creeping into our clinics. It gives the you, the hearing aid user much greater freedom to have your aids adjusted remotely. As a result you can do it when you want and from wherever you want! The professional does all the shenanigans their end and with a press of a button the hearing aids are adjusted. This is all because of Bluetooth technology within new hearing aids. Stay at home hearing care – now you’re talking!
Why now?
Well, actually this has been around for a couple of years. It was introduced by several manufacturers as an additional feature of their latest products ‘Hey look!’ they beamed, ‘our hearing aids are rechargeable AND stream from your phone AND have their own app AND can tell if you’ve fallen over AND glow in the dark AND now can be adjusted remotely!’. (For legal reasons The Auricle must point out that no hearing aid glows in the dark – much to my disappointment).
This clever feature is used if you can’t make it in to clinic due to bad weather or an illness for example. And now in the case of a global pandemic.
Not knowing when we might be able safely ignore the 2 meter zone, this clinic avoiding feature is ideal.
So, can my 5 year old hearing aid do this?
Erm, probably not. If your hearing aid is behind the ear (traditional style or ‘ric’ -receiver-in-canal) and is the latest range from the manufacturer it probably can. A few in-the-ear aids will be included- if they can be connected via Bluetooth to your smart phone then you’re probably in luck. This video by Oticon explains the process rather well..
So, you request a call with your audiologist and at a specified time you can audio and /or video chat on your smartphone in the manufacturers’ app. You tell them what’s bothering you and they can make their adjustments their end. Either in real time or once the call is over the new settings are uploaded to your hearing aids via the Bluetooth connection on your phone. And bibbety-bobbety-boo it’s all done!
Which hearing aids have this facility?
Most aids in the following ranges can be set up for remote assistance. Check with your audiologist who can confirm with the manufacturer if they’re not sure:
- PHONAK Marvel, Audeo B Direct
- OTICON Opn S, Opn, Xceed, Play, Xceed Play, Siya
- GN RESOUND LiNX Quattro, LiNX 3D, ENZO 3D, LiNX², LiNX, LiNX TS, ENZO², ENZO, UP Smart.
- STARKEY Livio AI
- SIGNIA aids on Xperience and NX platform
There are probably others out there – so forgive me if I’ve missed any (I’ll update blog as more products are added).
It’s important that your iPhone or Android phone is compatible with the app and your hearing aids – a list of compatible phones is available on each manufacturers website. You also need a good broadband connection for the calls. Sometimes the initial set up is a bit of a faff but your audiologist should be able to navigate it for you. This video explains the benefits of the GN Resound Assist feature available on their 3D app:
Although this is a wonderful feature it should not replace the face to face appointment. In nearly 20 years of practising I have come to know many of my clients really well – some I even count as my friends. Getting to really know our clients is at the absolute heart of everything we do and I think the only way to truly personalise the experience.
Can ALL appointments be done this way?
We can’t look in your ear yet with your phone (well, we could but we’d be guessing what we were looking at). Wax can cause all sorts of issues so a regular check of the outer ear is essential. Recently some of the manufacturers have added the ability to test hearing through this type of remote communication. Again – great when a client simply cannot get to clinic but should never be used to replace the in-clinic test. As professionals we need to be sure the ear is healthy (eg no active infections or blockages). And that the aids are working properly and physically fit to get the best from the products. Being able to carry out thorough tests of (for example) hearing performance in noise and create solutions specifically for the client based on these results is only possible in a clinical environment.
So, is this the future of all hearing aid appointments? No. Is it a welcome addition when a clinical visit it not possible or simply unnecessary – absolutely.
What are your experiences with this type of technology? Do you like the idea? Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are and stay safe. n