David J. Delage
Qualitone, 4931 W. 35th St., Minneapolis, MN 55416
Brenda Dean
DBC-Mifco, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Jerry L. Yanz
Qualitone, Minneapolis, MN 55416
Communicating data and/or graphs from hearing test instruments to hearing-aid-fitting systems or office management systems which are typically produced by different manufacturers has proved an impediment to the use of programmable hearing aids. In an attempt to resolve this difficulty, a flexible standard software protocol for communicating data and graphs between PC-based systems has been developed by Qualitone and has been offered royalty free to the hearing health community. Called the open audiometric reporting standard (OARS), it is based on the existing Windows open database connectivity (ODBC) standard. The purpose of OARS is to allow systems to store or transfer data or graphical information in an open and standardized way, independent of the database language. Effort has been made to insure compatibility with all Windows-based systems (including test instruments, hearing aid programmers, and office management systems) and to provide a method whereby all possible system configurations and their data and graphic needs can be supported.