Adaptation Managers in Hearing Aid Fitting Software

ABSTRACT

New hearing aid users are often overwhelmed by amplified signals and may reject amplification. Some hearing aid companies have attempted to facilitate adjustment to hearing aids by providing different levels of amplification for differing amounts of experience. Twenty-nine hearing aid companies were initially contacted for inclusion in this survey. Five companies indicated having a built-in adaptation manager, but only four companies (Electone, Oticon, Phonak, and Siemens) released information. The adaptation managers were compared using six simulated hearing loss configurations. Data are presented in tabulated form displaying the difference between initial and final gain levels for loud, medium, and soft input levels. The primary strategy employed in the hearing aid fitting software is a stepwise increase in the amount of gain provided by the hearing aids.

KEYWORD

Adaptation - hearing aids - gain

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