With hundreds of different private hearing aids out there, how do you know you're getting the best advice?
One of the biggest questions people have about private hearing aids is 'how do I know which one is best for me?'
There are hundreds of models to choose from by numerous brands and with the selection of features varying on different technology specifications, even the best audiology professionals can get confused sometimes.
The traditional approach involves the audiologist asking a variety of 'lifestyle' questions and forming an interpretation of that individual's life in terms of sound. There is a genuine skill to this, particularly in asking the right questions and delving further into the important areas to assist in choosing the right device. This has been the best method so far but it leaves a lot of room for error... until now.
Liverpool Hearing Centre is trialling a different approach. What is we could loan everyone a special pair of hearing aids that could perform at any level? What if there was a way to try anything from the lowest cost, most basic device to the latest, most expensive, multi-featured hearing aids in the world before paying a single penny? Well, at Liverpool Hearing Centre, that's exactly what we do!
We initially loan the hearing aids to our patients on a 4 week trial basis to go about their everyday lives. During this time the hearing aid measures every single environment encountered and records all the features that are used and the level they are used at. Arriving back at Liverpool Hearing Centre for a 2 week mid-trial appointment, that data can be analysed by the audiologist's software to suggest the exact hearing aids that would be suitable for that person and prevent the patient from over-spending on something that they may not need.
The very same hearing aids are then programmed as the devices that the scientific data suggests is best for the patient and the trial can continue for a further two weeks. This is both smart and a sensible approach. We will still ask the same 'lifestyle' questions as before as we love to hear about our patient's lives and it gives real context to what we are going, but we are super excited to now have the ability to adopt a more scientific approach.
At the end of the day, we want what's best for our patients and nothing has changed in that respect; but now we can show people accurate visual data as to why certain features will work for you in your own personal sound environments. Previously, you just had to take us on our word that our calculated estimations were accurate.
There are naturally some things that the hearing aids can't measure, such as comfort and ease of use, so there are still some 'manual' decisions that need to be made.
Once you've paid for your hearing aids, we understand that your lifestyle might change. You might join a new club with an active social element or start a new job in a busy office. The hearing aids never stop recording your acoustic lifestyle so we can continuously analyse when and where we can potentially make significant improvements. Acoustically, we can see how your life has changed.
What if you could pay only to upgrade your hearing aids* after we analysed the data instead of having to buy a complete new pair to fit your new lifestyle? Well, now you can - just pay the difference on our price list!
In a similar way, if you can't quite afford the ones you'd really like until later, you could buy the lower cost model today and upgrade to the higher technology level when you can pay at a more convenient time.
We love this new sensible, flexible and scientific approach to finding the right hearing aids for our patients and we're quite sure you will too. We are the only hearing centre in Liverpool currently operating this new approach to fitting hearing aids and one of only a few in the UK. We are constantly striving to provide the best hearing care experience possible. If you're considering buying new hearing aids, then make sure you get the right ones by coming to Liverpool Hearing Centre.
*Flex Upgrade is available in Unitron Hearing Aids Only
