CEU Courses Audio

The Over the counter (OTC) hearing aid regulations issued by the FDA went into effect on October 17, 2022. The distinction between OTC or self-fit OTC devices does not appear to be clear, and in some cases deceptive. The flood of devices and claims further cloud the decision pathway for consumer and professionals. Amazon recently initiated a review of all devices on their site to ensure they have met the appropriate clearances and labeling as required under regulations. Several examples of correct labeling and claims, as well as those that are considered suspect are discussed. Examples of questions that both consumer and professionals should be asking when looking into OTC devices are discussed.

With the advent of OTC devices, it is believed that a growing number of people will take ownership of their condition and self-direct their care. Given the gatekeeper status of physicians and other licensed medical personnel, it is imperative they thoroughly understand the consequences of untreated hearing loss as well as the variety of treatment options. This podcast lays the foundation for how hearing care professionals can better educate the medical community about hearing loss and the assortment of device-related options.

Since COVID-19, offering hearing care follow-up support using the internet has gained traction, but is it a viable alternative or replacement for traditional in-person care? This podcast reviews one randomized controlled trial that compared a web-based follow-up support to in-person care. The implications of this study for practitioners will be discussed.

An increasing number of people who are neurodiverse (people who have conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia) are pursuing higher education, including education and employment in the field of audiology. This presentation by neurodivergent professionals promotes a cultural shift of inclusion for students, clinicians, researchers, and professors who identify as neurodivergent, and discusses the practical and ethical considerations for neurodiversity inclusivity in audiology.

Your first salary is the most impactful one to negotiate for a variety of reasons. This course will review the principles of negotiation, reasons to negotiate, and strategies to create the most successful outcome for all parties in a hearing healthcare setting.

Dr. Grace Sturdivant, of OtoPro Technologies, joins Dave during National Protect Your Hearing Month to share how she got into the hearing conservation business, why more hearing care professionals should embrace and sell hearing protection products in their practices, and how focusing on the needs of patients always leads to good things.

Shareef Mahdavi is a patient experience expert. In this podcast he shares several valuable insights on how to create more remarkable and engaging patient experiences, designed to set clinicians apart from OTC retailers.

Modern hearing aids are designed to compensate for the innate ability of individuals to differentiate between rapidly changing soundscapes. To improve performance across a wide range of soundscapes, hearing aids employ multiple programs, each geared to optimize performance in a different soundscape. Each program has a group of features tuned to optimize processing within each program. Signal classifiers allow for these programs to switch automatically without direct wearer interaction with the hearing aids, however some classification systems are more sophisticated than others, as this podcast addresses.

Recent reports suggest that 12 to 15% of adults have self-reported hearing difficulties and normal pure tone audiograms. This suggests that the traditional pure tone audiogram is a relatively poor indicator of functional communication difficulties. In this podcast, Lina Zadeh, PhD, discusses how extended-high frequency audiometry, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and the Digits-in-Noise (DIN) test can be used clinically to identify hidden hearing loss. She also explores effective management strategies for those identified with this condition.

Chronic diseases are medical conditions of long duration and slow progression. Chronic diseases are caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors. They often result in significant activity limitations and participation restrictions and require ongoing medical attention. Although most chronic diseases are not curable, the impact of these chronic diseases can be reduced by medications and personal lifestyle improvement.

In this podcast, Kathy Dowd, AuD, of The Audiology Project, discusses the co-morbidities associated with hearing loss of adults onset and the importance of early identification.