Your First Appointment
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center’s Hearing Aid Center provides state-of-the-art audiology and hearing aid technology. Our Audiologists are experts at matching the right hearing aid to the right person. Here is what to know about your first appointment at Lahey’s Hearing Aid Center.
What to Expect
Once you have the results of your hearing test and have met with an Otolaryngology specialist, your first visit to the Hearing Aid Center will be a free one-hour consultation with an Audiologist. The appointment will include an explanation of the hearing test, a discussion about your communication needs and a recommendation of what type of technology is best suited for your hearing loss, as well as pricing and other information.
If you need a hearing aid, we offer a variety of different types provided by trusted manufacturers in the hearing aid industry. While many insurances will pay for hearing tests and medical evaluations with our physicians, they may not pay for hearing aids. Therefore, it is best to contact your insurance company regarding hearing aid benefits before your first appointment. At Lahey, a 30-day trial period is provided. If you are not satisfied with your hearing aid, the cost is refunded.
Real-Ear Measurement
At Lahey, Real-Ear Measurement software allows the families of hearing-impaired people to “experience” their loved one’s unique hearing loss. This technology makes a comparison between what a “normal” ear hears and what the hearing-impaired person hears. It also helps with verification of the correct fitting of the hearing aid(s).
Real-Ear Measurements help both patients and their families obtain realistic expectations regarding hearing loss, communication abilities and the use of hearing aids.
Real-Ear Measurement software allows the Audiologist to determine if a patient’s hearing aids are functioning properly for optimal speech understanding. According to consumer report, only 25% of hearing aid providers use real-ear measurement. At Lahey, Audiologists verify real-ear measurements on each patient who is fit with a hearing aid.