The new system works only with digitally programmable hearing aids. The pilot program has been in place at Wabasha Clinic part of Mayo Health System in Wabasha, Minn., for several weeks. Patients in the Wabasha area who experience hearing aid difficulty can go to Wabasha Clinic for readjustment. In the past, these patients either had to drive to Rochester or wait until a Mayo audiologist made a monthly visit to Wabasha. Each hearing aid is unique, says David Fabry, Ph.D., a Mayo audiologist.
Small adjustments can make a big difference in helping people hear better.
Patients often think that everything sounds O.K. in the office, but when they get home, they may not feel comfortable with what they are hearing. Instead of returning to Rochester, patients now travel the short distance to Wabasha Clinic and we can make the necessary adjustments right away. To access the remote hearing aid adjustment services, Mary Pat Danckwart, a Wabasha Clinic licensed practical nurse, calls Mayo Hearing on the telephone. A Mayo audiologist then dials into the Wabasha Clinic computer system while Danckwart connects the patient s hearing aid to the computer. While talking with Danckwart on the telephone, the Mayo audiologist sends different sounds over the telephone using the computer.