Remote Care & Teleaudiology
FitHearing Audiology Network is committed to delivering premium quality hearing health care to our patients through the safest and most convenient means possible. We understand that your hearing and understanding ability is even more critical than ever before, which is why we are proud to offer remote care audiology services.
This is a model of health care delivery that allows you to access hearing care remotely. Whether you are at home or on vacation, you can finally access hearing care on your time, and wherever you may be. A growing number of states now allow patients with hearing loss and other hearing conditions to be treated remotely by audiologists.
Remote hearing care isn’t new, but now that people worldwide are practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for remote hearing care solutions is rising steeply.
Many hearing aid wearers are already using apps for their hearing aids, which serve as remote controls or audio streamers. Now they can get almost the same number of services through an app than get with an in-person meeting. Below are some of the current hearing care services offered remotely.
Remote hearing aid adjustments
Your hearing care professional may now interact with you via manufacturer designed smartphone applications. Due to current technological advancements, they can also have direct access to your hearing aid settings without you needing to visit the office. They can adjust your hearing aid settings in real time based on your feedback (via a text or call), and send the update to your hearing aids via the app. Once the change is accepted, those adjustments take effect so you can immediately try them out.
Remote Hearing Aid Assessments
Suppose you’re still deciding on a hearing aid. In that case, your case history can be established remotely. You can start defining the hearing and lifestyle factors that the hearing professional should consider when selecting your hearing aid. Suppose your hearing has already been tested elsewhere. In that case, you can also conduct hearing aid evaluations via a telehealth appointment to determine which hearing solution might be best in your particular situation.
Remote Hearing Aid Maintenance
If you are unsure how to look after your hearing aids, our audiologists can help you with advice via video chat. They are happy to ensure you are properly cleaning and maintaining your hearing aids to ensure they are functioning optimally.
The Benefits of Teleaudiology
During a pandemic, it is safer. If you’re 60 years of age or older, you might not want to leave the house too much. As the world struggles to deal with COVID-19, we should welcome any method we can use to access critical healthcare services while socially distancing.
It ensures you adjust better to new hearing aids. Adjusting to new hearing aids requires retraining your brain to process all the sounds you lacked before amplification. Hearing care apps may assign you to complete simple daily exercises, such as rustling a newspaper or having a conversation during a family event. Such activities will allow you to practice using your device in a variety of situations. When you complete these tasks, you can give feedback to your audiologist instantly, who can then reprogram the hearing aids accordingly.
It is more convenient. Simple, on-demand treatment is possible – without wasting the usual time and cost of most in-person visits. Those who live or are homebound in remote areas or simply can’t take time off their jobs can easily access treatment.
How to Access Teleaudiology
To get started with telehealth appointments, you’ll need:
- A laptop (preferably one you bought in the last five years) or a video camera smartphone
- A reliable internet connection
- Audio speakers, or a high-quality sound headset.
Suppose you already wear hearing aids with Bluetooth wireless connectivity. In that case, you may be able to connect your hearing aids directly to your smartphone or laptop’s audio to get the best sound quality. Once you have these essential pieces in place, you can start receiving care with one of our network’s audiologists from the comfort of your home.
FitHearing Audiology Network
We understand that teleaudiology can seem daunting at times, especially when it comes to maneuvering different devices. Our team is here to help! Please contact us if you have any questions about teleaudiology, from setting up your devices to setting up an appointment.
