IHS Assistive Listening Devices and Hearing Assistive Technology

Question 1

An FM (frequency modulation) assistive listening system improves hearing in noisy environments primarily by:

Accepted Answer

Transmitting the speaker's voice wirelessly directly to the listener's receiver, bypassing background noise

Answer

Amplifying all sounds in the environment equally

Answer

Filtering out frequencies associated with speech noise

Answer

Increasing the patient's hearing aid output by 10–20 dB

Question 2

A telecoil (T-coil) in a hearing aid is designed to:

Accepted Answer

Pick up electromagnetic signals from compatible telephones and hearing loop systems

Answer

Improve battery life by switching to a lower-power mode

Answer

Enable Bluetooth streaming from smartphones

Answer

Reduce feedback when the hearing aid is near a telephone

Question 3

Which assistive listening system is most commonly installed in theaters, houses of worship, and conference rooms to benefit hearing aid users with telecoils?

Accepted Answer

Hearing loop (audio induction loop) system

Answer

Infrared (IR) listening system

Answer

Personal FM system

Answer

Bluetooth multipoint system

Question 4

A patient with severe hearing loss asks about devices that can alert them to sounds in their home environment, such as a doorbell or fire alarm. The specialist should recommend:

Accepted Answer

Alerting and signaling assistive listening devices that use visual (flashing lights) or vibrotactile alerts

Answer

A higher-powered hearing aid with extended bandwidth

Answer

A cochlear implant referral only — no other options exist

Answer

A personal FM system tuned to household frequencies

Question 5

Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids paired with a smartphone allow the user to:

Accepted Answer

Stream audio from the phone and control hearing aid settings via a companion app

Answer

Stream audio directly from the phone while bypassing the hearing aid's microphone entirely

Answer

Use the hearing aid as an FM transmitter for others in the room

Answer

Eliminate the need for a telecoil in all listening environments

Question 6

When counseling a patient about captioning services as a hearing assistive technology, the specialist should mention that real-time captioning (CART) is primarily beneficial for:

Accepted Answer

Lectures, meetings, and group settings where speech-reading alone is insufficient

Answer

One-on-one conversations in a quiet room

Answer

Patients with tinnitus who have normal hearing

Answer

Improving hearing in background noise with hearing aids