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The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

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Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#231

Post by jrace »

thegrimmest wrote: post #191
jrace wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was not an argument, but a statement. If one model (pay as you go) causes harm to the whole industry (people know believe hearing aids do not work) then why would the industry continue?

I'm suggesting the model to use should be decided individually by members of the industry, not imposed on the industry as a whole. If some orgs want to use pay-as-you-go that's fine. If others want to offer more comprehensive service, that's fine too. I'm arguing for allowing the interactions to take place, even if some choices made are suboptimal.

They can.

As far as I know (at least for Canada, circa 2015) there were no laws or regs stating how, what or when to charge for services. --other than some kind of return period.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#232

Post by IgorPartola »

JCM9 wrote: post #55

There are a number of healthcare areas in the US that have been protected by regulation, but it’s increasingly unclear if this is good for patients, consumers, or public health at large. The increasing sentiment seems to be probably not. Vision care is another area I’d expect to see more changes and disruption coming down the pipeline. Vision care is very important and advanced cases require special skills, but it’s…

I am constantly reminded that the word “to disrupt” should be in all instances replaced with “to fuck up”.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#233

Post by jrace »

aidenn0 wrote: post #193
jrace wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was not an argument, but a statement. If one model (pay as you go) causes harm to the whole industry (people know believe hearing aids do not work) then why would the industry continue?

Because it's easier to get someone to pay $100 for something they aren't sure will work (and then have their beliefs confirmed) than to get someone to pay $1000 for something they aren't sure will work (and then have their beliefs refuted)?

Would you rather pay $100 for something you are not sure will work...or would you rather ay $0.00 to try it first?

And then still be able to return it at least within the first 30 days of paying for it?

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#234

Post by phkahler »

EastOfTruth wrote: post #210
RHSeeger wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of the time it's not absolute volume. If you can't hear certain frequency ranges well, boosting the volume of all ranges is just going to drown out the ones you can't hear well.

so a smart volume button

That pays attention to the environment and changes the volume (part of the spectrum perhaps?) that is what you're likely to be listening to.

This is of course a huge oversimplification, and aiming for it is probably what the industry is doing.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#235

Post by falcolas »

slownews45 wrote: post #225
falcolas wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, there is a nuanced difference between hearing aids and iPods. Hearing aids basically apply a hearing-capability matched EQ to the incoming sound. Why this matters: Hearing loss is not uniform across frequencies, and we use huge portions of the spectrum for different functions (truck backup beepers vs. car engine noises, both used to identify what's coming your way).

And you are CERTAIN that the iphone could not a) conduct a hearing test b) do a hearing based EQ on incoming sound? c) do sound profiles (ie, optimize for speech?) Realize that calling already may use some of this - using microphones to pick out speech from background noise etc. For folks who have hearing issues you could have one device that would cover your movie watching, your phone calls, and hearing enhancement.…

> conduct a hearing test

It could not. A hearing test requires an environment with exceptional isolation and flat-response drivers (iPods are not remotely flat) to be done properly.

> do a hearing based EQ on incoming sound

It could, given a proper prescription for the EQ, and an understanding of the response curve of the iPods' mic and drivers.

> do sound profiles

Not required, the EQ is tied to your hearing damage, not your environment.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#236

Post by jrace »

slownews45 wrote: post #225
falcolas wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, there is a nuanced difference between hearing aids and iPods. Hearing aids basically apply a hearing-capability matched EQ to the incoming sound. Why this matters: Hearing loss is not uniform across frequencies, and we use huge portions of the spectrum for different functions (truck backup beepers vs. car engine noises, both used to identify what's coming your way).

And you are CERTAIN that the iphone could not a) conduct a hearing test b) do a hearing based EQ on incoming sound? c) do sound profiles (ie, optimize for speech?) Realize that calling already may use some of this - using microphones to pick out speech from background noise etc. For folks who have hearing issues you could have one device that would cover your movie watching, your phone calls, and hearing enhancement.…

They would need a properly calibrated set of headphones/microphones and environment to conduct a proper hearing test.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#237

Post by jrace »

ricardobeat wrote: post #185
jrace wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"And my attempt at bluetooth connectivity for phone calls failed as the things could not stay sync'd during conversations. Better to just use a headset. " And that is what you should use the money you paid for....getting proper follow up and adjustments, including making your BT work. BT and hearing aids have been used for over 10 years.

What exactly is the audiologist going to adjust to improve BT reliability?

Apply new firmware to the hearing aids. help you set your phone to work properly. Return them and use a different make/model that works with your phone.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#239

Post by falcolas »

RHSeeger wrote: post #230
falcolas wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, there is a nuanced difference between hearing aids and iPods. Hearing aids basically apply a hearing-capability matched EQ to the incoming sound. Why this matters: Hearing loss is not uniform across frequencies, and we use huge portions of the spectrum for different functions (truck backup beepers vs. car engine noises, both used to identify what's coming your way).

I had some trauma induced hearing loss recently and cannot hear certain frequencies at all with my left ear. When I stand outside next to the (small) waterfall with it on my left size, I can hear "part" of it from my left ear... and the other part as if it was coming from the woods on the right side. It passes right by my left ear w/o me hearing it, bounces off the woods, and comes back to me. It sounds like there's…

Trippy, isn't it? A similar phenomenon can occur without hearing damage, where the reflection to the right ear is at the right phase to cause wave-interference with the source waveform that reaches the right ear.

Re: The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

#240

Post by jrace »

ricardobeat wrote: post #189
jrace wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The tech in the hearing aids is cheap. it is the fitting and follow up where the money you spend should be going. -- that and repairs and regular maintenance.

In my experience with a family member, the fitting and tuning done by the audiologist is as good as a random guess. Constant noise and screeching even after multiple, expensive tuning sessions. As a result the hearing aids get tossed away unused most of the time. The adjustment offered by something like the AirPods Pro seem much more effective.

Then you need to go to a different audiologist.

Most of my rejected fittings were from people who had far too high expectations. that did not stop me from trying, and when unable to get success provide a 100% refund, and refer to a different AUD.

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