Hearing Aid Fitting & Adjustment Flashcards

Which real-ear measurement is performed with the hearing aid in place but turned OFF, and reflects the effect of the earmold on the resonance of the ear canal?

Answer: REOR (real-ear occluded response)

REOR measures the SPL in the ear canal with the hearing aid inserted but inactive, showing how the physical presence of the device alters unaided canal acoustics.

A patient uses a hearing aid with Bluetooth streaming. They report audio cuts out intermittently when streaming from their smartphone. What should the fitter check first?

Answer: Verify battery level and Bluetooth pairing/distance

Bluetooth dropout is most commonly caused by low battery, distance between devices, or pairing issues, which should be ruled out before assuming a hardware fault.

According to AAA guidelines, which outcome measure is recommended to assess hearing aid benefit in daily life beyond the audiologist's office?

Answer: Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB)

The APHAB is a validated self-report questionnaire that measures the functional benefit of hearing aids across communication and environmental situations in real life.

A fitter notices the patient's aided thresholds (functional gain) are 10 dB worse than expected. Without changing programming, what physical factor should be inspected first?

Answer: Cerumen blockage in the sound bore or receiver port

Cerumen or debris occluding the sound bore or receiver port is a common physical cause of reduced output that should always be inspected before programming changes.

Which type of hearing aid coupling is most appropriate for a patient with chronic otitis externa who cannot tolerate an occlusive earmold?

Answer: Open-fit thin-tube or RIC with open dome

An open-fit RIC or thin-tube BTE with an open dome minimizes ear canal occlusion and irritation while still providing amplification for patients who cannot tolerate occlusive fittings.

What is the clinical significance of a hearing aid's 'equivalent input noise' (EIN) specification?

Answer: It measures the internal noise floor of the hearing aid's amplifier

EIN reflects the self-generated noise of the hearing aid amplifier; a lower EIN means less audible hiss, which is critical for patients with mild losses who require high gain at low inputs.

After fitting bilateral hearing aids, the patient reports sounds seem to come from the right even in quiet, symmetric environments. What is the most likely cause?

Answer: Interaural gain mismatch between the two devices

A gain mismatch between the two hearing aids causes the brain to lateralize sound toward the louder ear, and equalizing gain across both devices typically resolves the perception.