Must hearing pros be fitted by hearing pros?

[IGZO]

I wonder if hearing professionals ever fit themselves.
Would think that an AuD, with hearing loss, would probably want to fine tune the fitting software, for that should combine for him/her self the best of both hearing knowledge and patient insight.
Or am I wrong and do most hearing professionals insist on going to others for fine tuning… I mean after a REM might have been done, and the audiogram. But for fine tuning?

Please enlighten me on this… Thank you in advance to all pros who take a moment to respond.

[Louie]

I always try out new models when they launch as I want to have some idea of the products pros & cons if I’m going to recommend them. In the process of doing this, I’ll often run REMs on myself and, if required, make any additional fine tuning adjustments myself. I think Auds would be more than capable of doing it all themselves.

[IGZO]

Right I would assume so…
I had posted on my Target Tweaks Tips, etc thread this question as well

@IGZO

Reason for my asking that question was, that with all the options covered in the software, you figure there would be the simple option of reversing the display.
Some screens have it, the ones to share with the patient, for pros that use a two monitor display.
But why not also have that option in the software for pros who wear aids and time to time want to tweak their own.
I understand that the operator is then already adjusted to the screen but I think it would be different thinking about the patient opposite them and themself facing out.
In my profession - nothing with hearing, I am always referring to the other person’s orientation. Just as a Hearing aid pro does.
But I find that when fitting myself - in the software, the reverse - with Right on MY left is not a positive experience, and would think that pros would if they could just flip the screen when treating themselves.

Why don’t all the hearing aid pros, actually complain about the software.
I am sure there could be functional improvements, like that.
As well as a lot of inconsistency in between screens, and menus.

[PaulC]

Oh goodness I was just thinking about this. For all the advocating for best practices with real ear verification, I would still be "DIY"ing on myself. Like @Louie I also try out hearing aids when they come out. I have a fairly generic NOAH audiogram I program to specifically for that purpose. I have learned how to get a probe mic in my ear fairly easily, but I’ve bumped my TM a couple of times along the way. That being said, I would probably ask a colleague to do initial real ear, just for timeliness, and then I would do fine tuning stuff by myself on the back end.