Experience - Audiologists With & Without Hearing Aids Of Their Own

Audiologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers
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Since 2014, I have had 5 AuDs treat me. From 2014 to 2021, I had 3 AuDs rotate through a corporate owned office. None of those 3 wore HAs. I felt that 2 of the 3 were competent, but the third was a dud. I also felt that they were trying to upsell me every time I saw them. I really liked the Halo HA I got in 2014, but hated the Audibel that replaced it.

As a result of general dissatisfaction with the sales pressure, the Audibel HA and the last AuD not really having a clue about what he was doing (which is probably why I hated the Audibel HA), I changed clinics. I went to a clinic that was owned by the AuD whose name was on the door.

At the new clinic, the AuD/owner also wears HAs. Therefore, he has experience as a user as well as an AuD. His hearing loss is age related. As he is nearing retirement, he has a new AuD working with him. I suspect she will replace him in the AuD role. She has had hearing issues all her life. When I was in the booth, she had me wear her remote mic so she could hear my responses.

I know this is a small sample size, but IME, AuDs that are users of HAs make better AuDs. Being able to speak from experience rather than just learned info adds to the depth of service they provide.

FWIW, the corporate clinic did not use REM and the private clinic does each time I have a new audiogram, which is annually at the private clinic. The overall cost at each clinic was roughly the same but the value I have received from the AuDs who wear HAs has been significantly better.

What is your experience?

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You did better than me at Audible.
I’ve had 10 audiologist in 6 years.
Like you the majority of them were just out of school.
They do have a tendency to try to up sell you.
I did have a couple who were a little knowledgeable.
Also they did use REM.
Why am I still there.
Aids work and I’m not ready for new ones.

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My Audi (WIDEX representatives) told me directly that she wants to SELL.
Forget about REM or patience or willing to configure the device when needed.

Moved on to Signia representative that does REM and she’s really cool and has lot of patience.

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I TOTALLY get your point here, and would also tend to feel that an audiologist who WEARS aids, walks in our shoes. I’ve had two excellent audis the past 20 years, and neither wear aids - go figure.

My 98-yr-old mom has completely given up on her audi. She is a young woman, born with hearing loss, has worn aids for many years now, but seems incapable of fitting my mom with aids that work. Granted, the issue(s) could be on both sides here, but I do find it ironic that this younger gal simply can not or will not ensure that my mom has working aids!

As a result, my mom has spent 2 years with PAINFUL aids that actually give her contusions. She has NO working streamer for her Phonakk Naidas. Custom mold impressions were taken a few times but NEVER worked. It just boggles my mind that my mom has to drive across town to see this audi, but has had no resolution in all these months.

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Funny you mention this. In the early 2000s I had an Audiologist who owned the business with his wife. He wore hearing aids. and “got it”.

Even though I was kind of a “low maintenance” user, and pretty much only came in for my annual check, he always gave as much time as I needed & was just super kind.

He sold the business and retired. The guy who bought it made sure that he told me that he used to teach audiology at least four of five times on every visit. He also told me on several occasions that I wasn’t experiencing what I was telling him I was experiencing. Let me restate that - on several occasions I said something along the lines of “when this happens, I hear this”. And he replied “no, you don’t”.

On one occasion I told him about a weird effect that I was hearing with my RIC aids, and he said that he frequently programs a pair just to add a little extra volume and wears them around the office. He had never noticed this effect, so therefore it wasn’t happening. Honestly one of the most arrogant people I have ever met.

When I decided to try another audiologist I had to hire a lawyer to send a demand letter to get him to release my records. Fun guy.

The new guy was really friendly at first, and even helped by making some adjustments I needed, but then kind of ghosted me when I said that I wasn’t ready to buy replacements yet and wanted to baby my existing ones for another year or so. Although, humorously, when I had my first appointment with him I mentioned that I was changing audiologists because my last one was arrogant and intolerable. He said "Oh - you’ve been going to A****d!

So now I am working through my health insurance (HMO). They have an audiology dept & have convinced me to try a pair of Phonaks. The price was right, but I can already tell that the audi I am working with doesn’t know the aids as well as I would hope. In the two weeks between ordering and then picking them up yesterday, I did a ton of research on the model I was getting, and had some specific questions about features that weren’t clear to me. She gave me “deer in headlights” when I asked her whether it was true that the “go” charging case wouldn’t charge its internal battery while the aids were charging. She told me that I should stay away from the “health” part of the app since the aids that she just sold me didn’t have those features (they do).

So I don’t know what to do.

I guess I have this crazy idea that the professionals that I work with should be experts. I feel like that’s what I thought I was paying for. If they’re not, just give me the software and let me work it out for myself.

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get the software and noahlink wireless 2 and do the tweaks your self.

get the laptop and go to a shooting mall/cafe and play.
get the car and drive around with the laptop next to you.
etc

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For me, Audiologists with a hearing loss have that added lived experience that I doubt you can ‘learn’ or even gain with experience.

I live in the U.K. so until recently, most audiologists I encountered were with the NHS. All good, but none were HoH. One told me I didn’t need lots of programmes on my HAs as they were smart enough.

In 2021 I visited a Costco hearing aid centre and a branch of Boots (a Sonova chain). Again, both good but Boots automatically recommended the P90s. At Costco the guy wore HAs himself and didn’t steer me in any direction but did talk me through options. In the time at Costco I had a very thorough test and he knew exactly what questions to ask. The following year, my local Costco opened a hearing centre and I moved there not because it was under 10 miles away but because the Audi was his wife.

This year, the local Costco has a new Audi, but an immediate family member is HoH and again ‘gets it’. It seems to make the conversation much easier, maybe even more ‘equal’ since we both have an understanding of the problem. If that makes sense…

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I can obviously do that, and in fact already have the Phonak software - just waiting for the Noahlink to be delivered.

But the point is that now I am paying extra to do something myself. Something that I have already paid someone to do for me.

Not that the hearing test doesn’t have value, but honestly I feel as though most of the audiologists that I have worked with have primarily just been order-takers.

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I feel you, I 100% agree but we have to take care of ourselves

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I have an incredible audiologist who is also hearing impaired. I have often felt that one of the things that makes him so good is that he spends hours trying and testing new hearing aids on himself and he really understands all of the challenges and frustrations that hearing impaired people face.

I honestly don’t care what he charges me for hearing aids because I could not function without his help and guidance.

Jordan

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Thanks for posting. I had issues too

I’ve read a lot. But have much to learn

Dave