At Chicago Hearing Services, one of the things we pride ourselves on is our commitment to treating each patient’s unique needs. Here’s a look at just some of the questions we ask our patients in order to find out more about them and set them up with the perfect hearing solution.
Do you currently have hearing aids, and if so, how satisfied are you with their performance?
We want to learn about your history, because it helps us fit you with the best hearing aids for you. If you’ve already had experience with hearing aids, this can be particularly valuable feedback, because we know what’s worked for you and what hasn’t.
What difficulties are you having with your hearing?
We will do a full hearing test, but it’s also important to gain the patient’s own perspective on what they’re experiencing. A big part of hearing loss can be the subjective aspect—what the patient is feeling that cannot be detected by a hearing test.
What kind of lifestyle do you lead?
Correcting your hearing is done most effectively when we know the types of situations you’re likely to get yourself into. For example, if you spend time in loud environments such as sports venues, this might require a different kind of hearing aid than if you spend your time in places like lecture halls, where clarity is of the utmost importance.
What are the financial considerations?
To set you up with the right hearing aid, we need to know what is of higher priority for you: keeping costs down or getting the most fully-featured hearing aid possible.We also want to know if you want a worry free service plan where there are no costs after you receive the hearing aids or would you rather pay as you go for the audiologists services.
What are you looking for when it comes to fit and appearance?
The type of hearing correction you need will determine the type of hearing aid you need—over the ear, in-canal, or even invisible in-canal. Sometimes, you may have some options on which style to do with and that’s when personal preference comes into the picture. Most people prefer to err on the side of something more discreet. However, there may be other special considerations that may affect the kind of hearing aid you go with. For example, if you lead a very active lifestyle, you may need a hearing aid model that’s better at staying in place during strenuous activity.
Do you have any mobile devices you need to hearing aid to integrate with?
Almost every patient asks about integration features these days. Depending on the kind of mobile device you use, we can recommend a hearing aid that pairs well with it.
If you have an appointment with us coming up, we hope these questions will get you thinking about your hearing loss and what you want from your hearing aid. Of course, you should also make a list of all the questions you have for us, and we’ll be happy to answer them!
