During the past Movement Control Order, many of us were confined to the four walls of our homes. Whole industries grinded to a halt and the economy took a dive in attempt to curb the spread of the Covid 19 virus. Social distancing and contact reduction were implemented to reduce our risk of contracting the disease and slow the infection rate. At one point, there was even a cap imposed on the distance we could travel from our homes. Shortages of necessities such as toilet paper and test kits were the norm and all non-essential services were benched. In times like those, our living standards tumbled far below what we are accustomed to. It is not a farfetched idea that another pandemic as terrible and with far-reaching consequences as that of Covid-19 could happen again albeit, with a different pathogen. In such scenarios, we need to be prepared for the worst by modifying the way we run the world and live our lives to ensure such a catastrophe will not freeze the running gears of civilization again. written by patrick seow wi liam

Even in the healthcare industry, there are measures that we can take to reduce the contact between patients and clinicians. Online or remote follow-up sessions are a lesser-known service that we offer to clients who could not be physically present in the clinic. After you have been fitted with a hearing aid, it is customary for your audiologist to organise several follow-up sessions at 1/3/6 and 12-month intervals. These sessions are critical to making sure your hearing aid is working optimally and to adjust the settings to suit your listening needs. If you experience any issues, over or under-amplification from your hearing aid, these follow-up sessions will allow the audiologist to fine-tune your hearing aid. Normally, these fine-tuning sessions need to be attended in person, but the internet and advances in wireless technology has made it possible to run these sessions long-distance. You can be at home, at the mall, a restaurant, in the car, or even a busy classroom and still have access to an audiologist.

However, only certain types of hearing aids, typically the latest models, can accommodate remote fine tuning as this is a relatively new feature. You should further consult an audiologist to find out whether your hearing aid is compatible with remote fine-tuning.

Generally, there are 4 requirements you must meet to enable an online/remote session
● Your hearing aids need to have the technology for remote fine-tuning
● You need access to a stable internet connection (Wi-Fi, LAN or 4G)
● Having a smartphone or laptop that can run the hearing aid app is a must
● The hearing aids have been fitted in the clinic beforehand 

 

The advantages of remote follow-up sessions:

1. Adjustment can be done live (in real time) and at locations you often visit
Regular follow-up sessions are carried out in the clinic where the environment is quiet and not necessarily similar to real-life scenarios. Most of our lives are spent outside the clinic either at home, school, in the theatre, at the amusement park, in offices or the mall. Remote sessions will give you the opportunity to adjust your hearing aids based on your daily environment. These places will have varying degrees of noise levels which may affect the quality of sound and speech that you hear. Hence, being able to program your hearing aid according to your feedback, while in these locations can provide the audiologist with a more meaningful representation of your listening environments which in turn can improve the clarity and comfort of your hearing aids.

2. Overcome transport or mobility-related issues
This applies to clients who have difficulty coming into our clinic such as those that are bed-bound, living in geographically isolated regions such as the countryside or on islands, and face a lack of access to transportation. 

3. Save on fuel and time
You can reduce greenhouse emissions and time spent on the road. Never miss an appointment due to bad traffic again!

4. Reduce contact between you and others
By having the follow-up at home, you can effectively limit the spread of communicable diseases such as Covid-19. This is especially important if you or your loved ones are immunocompromised.

 

Potential complications to remote follow-up sessions:

1. It will require some level of skill with the computer/phone
There is an additional level of complexity that you need to get used to. Your audiologist will guide you on how to operate the hearing aid app to initiate the remote fine-tuning session and how to apply the desired changes to the hearing aid. Different hearing aids will have different procedures so it is highly recommended that you check with your audiologist beforehand. 

2. Some follow-ups may require clinical equipment only available in the hearing centre
Certain procedures such as real ear measurement, and middle ear assessment will require the use of medical equipment and trained personnel. In those situations, you would need to travel to the clinic or opt for our home visit service.

3. Unable to do routine maintenance
You will need to come in periodically for general servicing, and maintenance such as changing the wax guard, visual and listening checks and the occasional hearing aid repair as these cannot be done online. 

 

Most of our hearing aids at 20dB come with remote adjustment features. If you find yourself unable to attend the follow-up sessions, or if you would like to adjust your hearing aids based on real life locations, you may request for remote fine-tuning services from your audiologist. We will be happy to walk you through the steps. With enough practise and time, using the remote feature will be like second nature to you. Take your hearing care to the next level with remote optimization now.

 

Patrick Seow, Clinical Audiologist at 20dB Hearing