Fw: Hearing aid owner dissatisfaction

[Brent Edwards <brent@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Not sure if this went through so am resending it. Sorry if it is duplicated.
--Brent

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brent Edwards" <brent@edwards.net>
To: <AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA>
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 6:53 PM
Subject: Hearing aid owner dissatisfaction


> Following is some information on hearing aid owner dissatisfaction.
> References are below.
>
> From an article published in 2000 on the hearing aid in the drawer
> phenomenon, the top 20 reasons why hearing aid owners don't use their
> hearing aids are:
>
> 1. Poor benefit
> 2. Background noise/noisy situations
> 3.Fit and comfort
> 4. Negative side effects of hearing aid
> 5. Price and cost of repairs
> 6. Don't need help
> 7. Hearing aid is broken
> 8. Sound quality is poor
> 9. Unspecified - do not wear
> 10. Volume control adjustment
> 11. Whistling and feedback
> 12. Nuisance/hassle/annoying
> 13. Poor service from dispenser
> 14. High-frequency loss not helped
> 15. Stigma of wearing hearing aids
> 16. Work in limited situations
> 17. Profound hearing loss not helped
> 18. Too loud
> 19. Battery life too short
> 20. Forget to use
>
> In 1997, 16% of hearing aid owners did not use their aids. In 2000, 11% of
> hearing aid owners did not use their aids.
>
> Also, in a survey of 2428 hearing aid owners on what improvements they
> wanted to their aids published in 2002, the following were the top 10
> responses. The  percentage of people who rated highly the desirability of
> these improvements is also shown.
>
> 1. (95%) Speech in noise
> 2. (88%) Better sound quality
> 3. (85%) Less whistling and buzzing
> 4. (84%) Lower price
> 5. (83%) More soft sounds
> 6. (82%) Longer lasting batteries
> 7. (82%) Work better with telephone
> 8. (81%) Speech in quiet
> 9. (81%) Loud sounds less painful
> 10. (78%) Better fit and comfort
>
> --Brent
>
> Kochkin, S. MarkeTrak V: Why my hearing aids are in the drawer: The
consumer
> 's perspective, Hearing Journal, Vol. 53(2) February 2000, pp. 34-41.
>
>
>
> Kochkin, S. MarkeTrak VI: 10-Year Customer Satisfaction Trends in the US
> Hearing Instrument Market, The Hearing Review, Vol. 9(10) October 2002,
pp.
> 14-25, 46.
>
>
>
> Kochkin, S. MarkeTrak VI: Consumers Rate Improvements Sought in Hearing
> Instruments, The Hearing Review, Vol. 9(11) November 2002, pp. 18-22.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Al Bregman" <al.bregman@mcgill.ca>
> To: <AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA>
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 6:43 PM
> Subject: Re: Yet again on hearing aids
>
>
> > Dear Tom,
> >
> > You wrote:
> >
> > > if we delete the science from hearing aid fitting, what
> > do we have left other than
> > > witch craft?
> >
> > We have the subjective reports of the patient as to which
> > settings he or she prefers.  There may be other kinds of science
> > relevant to this question, not just hearing science: for example
> > psychology.  Too bad there aren't more studies as to the
> > variables that lead to the "dresser drawer" solution, since this
> > question is arguably the most important one that exists
> > concerning the fitting of  hearing aids, because it's a question
> > of the difference between some help and no help at all.
> >
> > Al
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <g_brennantg@TITAN.SFASU.EDU>
> > To: "Al Bregman" <al.bregman@mcgill.ca>
> > Cc: "AUDITORY" <auditory@lists.mcgill.ca>
> > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 11:05 AM
> > Subject: Re: Yet again on hearing aids
> >
> >
> > > Al, this is a bit out of context and not the original issue but
> > a side issue
> > > Barbara raised.  The iriginal issue had to do with harmonic
> > fitting of hearing
> > > aids.  I agree that fitting by formula never does better than
> > get you somewhere
> > > in the ball park but I would also point out that there are many
> > hearing aids in
> > > dresser drawers regardless of how they are fitted.  Be all that
> > as it may, if we
> > > delete the science from hearing aid fitting, what do we have
> > left other than
> > > witch craft?
> > >
> > > Tom
> > >
> > >
> > > Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP, R/D - AU
> > > web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html
> > >
> > >
> > >
>