HIS Assistive Listening Devices & Hearing Assistive Technology — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of assistive listening system uses electromagnetic induction to transmit audio signals directly to a telecoil in a hearing aid?
- FM system
- Induction loop system (Correct answer)
- Infrared system
- Bluetooth system
Correct answer: Induction loop system
Induction loop (hearing loop) systems create an electromagnetic field that is picked up by the telecoil (T-coil) in hearing aids and cochlear implant processors.
Question 2: An FM assistive listening system operates by transmitting audio using which technology?
- Visible light pulses
- Magnetic induction
- Radio frequency signals (Correct answer)
- Ultrasonic waves
Correct answer: Radio frequency signals
FM systems transmit audio via radio frequency signals from a transmitter (worn by the speaker) to a receiver worn by the listener.
Question 3: Which assistive listening device (ALD) is most susceptible to interference from other light sources such as fluorescent lighting?
- FM system
- Hearing loop system
- Infrared system (Correct answer)
- Bluetooth system
Correct answer: Infrared system
Infrared systems transmit audio using invisible light waves and can be disrupted by other infrared sources, including fluorescent lighting and sunlight.
Question 4: A patient with a severe-to-profound hearing loss reports difficulty using the telephone even with hearing aids. The MOST appropriate assistive technology to recommend first would be:
- A neck loop coupled to a telecoil-equipped hearing aid
- A captioned telephone (CapTel) (Correct answer)
- An infrared TV listener
- A personal FM system with lapel microphone
Correct answer: A captioned telephone (CapTel)
A captioned telephone displays real-time captions of spoken words, making telephone communication accessible regardless of residual hearing ability.
Question 5: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that places of public accommodation provide effective communication. Which assistive listening system is specifically mandated in many large assembly areas under ADA guidelines?
- Bluetooth audio streaming
- Hearing loop or FM system (Correct answer)
- Captioned telephones
- Personal amplifiers
Correct answer: Hearing loop or FM system
ADA guidelines require assistive listening systems (such as hearing loops or FM systems) in assembly areas with audio amplification, ensuring access for people with hearing loss.
Question 6: A personal sound amplification product (PSAP) differs from a hearing aid in that PSAPs:
- Require FDA clearance before sale
- Are intended for individuals with hearing impairment
- Are designed for people without hearing loss in specific listening situations (Correct answer)
- Must be programmed by a licensed hearing instrument specialist
Correct answer: Are designed for people without hearing loss in specific listening situations
PSAPs are consumer electronic devices intended for people with normal hearing who want to amplify sound in specific situations; they are not FDA-cleared hearing devices for hearing impairment.
Question 7: Which feature of an alerting device would be MOST appropriate for a patient with profound hearing loss who needs to be notified of a doorbell?
- An amplified doorbell chime
- A vibrotactile wristband alert (Correct answer)
- A telecoil receiver
- An FM transmitter
Correct answer: A vibrotactile wristband alert
A vibrotactile wristband alert converts the doorbell signal into a physical vibration on the wrist, which is reliably perceivable even with profound hearing loss.
Question 8: A patient with unilateral hearing loss asks about a CROS hearing aid system. Which statement BEST describes how a CROS system works?
- It amplifies sound in both ears equally
- It picks up sound from the impaired side and wirelessly transmits it to a hearing aid on the better ear (Correct answer)
- It uses a bone-anchored implant to transmit sound through the skull
- It amplifies low-frequency sounds only for the impaired ear
Correct answer: It picks up sound from the impaired side and wirelessly transmits it to a hearing aid on the better ear
A CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) system uses a microphone on the poorer ear side and transmits the signal wirelessly to a receiver on the better hearing ear.
Question 9: When counseling a patient about visual alert systems for a smoke alarm, which technology converts the auditory alarm into a visual signal?
- Telecoil receiver
- Strobe light alerting system (Correct answer)
- Personal FM transmitter
- Infrared receiver
Correct answer: Strobe light alerting system
Strobe light alerting systems flash bright lights when triggered by smoke alarms or other auditory alerts, providing a visual warning for individuals with hearing loss.
Question 10: Under the Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Act, mobile phones sold in the U.S. must meet minimum M-rating standards. What does the M-rating assess?
- Microphone sensitivity in noisy environments
- Compatibility with hearing aids operating in microphone mode (Correct answer)
- Memory capacity of the hearing aid processor
- Maximum output level of the phone speaker
Correct answer: Compatibility with hearing aids operating in microphone mode
The M-rating (Microphone rating) measures the level of radio frequency interference a phone produces when used with hearing aids in microphone (M) mode.
Question 11: A patient who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) needs to communicate with hearing family members. Which assistive technology would BEST facilitate real-time spoken communication between them?
- FM assistive listening system
- Video Relay Service (VRS) (Correct answer)
- Personal amplifier
- Captioned telephone
Correct answer: Video Relay Service (VRS)
Video Relay Service (VRS) connects a deaf ASL user to a hearing person via a video interpreter who interprets ASL to spoken English and vice versa in real time.
Question 12: Which signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement is a remote microphone system typically expected to provide compared to a hearing aid used alone in a noisy classroom?
- 0–3 dB improvement
- 5–8 dB improvement
- 15–25 dB improvement (Correct answer)
- 30–40 dB improvement
Correct answer: 15–25 dB improvement
Remote microphone systems typically provide 15–25 dB SNR improvement over hearing aids alone, as the microphone captures speech at the source before room noise degrades it.
Question 13: A HIS fitting a BiCROS system should understand that unlike a standard CROS system, a BiCROS system is designed for patients who:
- Have normal hearing in both ears
- Have unilateral total deafness and normal hearing in the other ear
- Have bilateral hearing loss of differing degrees (Correct answer)
- Have symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss
Correct answer: Have bilateral hearing loss of differing degrees
A BiCROS system combines a CROS microphone on the poorer side with amplification in the better-hearing ear, used when the better ear also has hearing loss requiring amplification.
Question 14: Which organization administers the IIC (Invisible-in-Canal) and other hearing aid style classifications, and also provides credentialing standards relevant to hearing instrument specialists?
- American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
- Hearing Industries Association (HIA)
- National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS) (Correct answer)
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
Correct answer: National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS)
The National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS) administers the Board Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (BC-HIS) credential and sets professional standards for hearing instrument specialists.
