How do you CYA during Otoscopy?

Posted on August 20, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

documentWhen performing audiometric testing, thresholds are recorded on an audiogram. Immittance testing often yields a printed version of the tympanogram. Auditory evoked potential testing reports are typically accompanied by a copy of the corresponding waveforms. The electroacoustic performance of a hearing aid conducted in a test box spits out a read-out of standard measurements. Essentially, every test or procedure performed in the audiology or hearing aid clinic generates some form of printed documentation designed to accompany the written report and ultimately support result interpretation. So, other than a subjective statement in the patient’s chart, how do you CYA during otoscopy? In other words, how do you Capture Your Assessment?

toolboxAn otoscope is a must-have tool for every audiologist. Even if you already have access to a pocket or full-size otoscope, it makes a lot of sense to add a video otoscope to your arsenal of tools (without needing to spend a lot of money) for a number of reasons and, in particular, to make sure you CYA. Video otoscopes interface with some type of monitor (or computer), and are specifically designed to capture images. This feature offers objective documentation of ear canal/tympanic membrane integrity during routine testing and/or as confirmation of pre versus post procedure implementation (i.e. cerumen removal). Some video otoscopes save image files as standard files that are compatible with Noah or other Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems and can be stored anywhere as designated by the user. Without needing to exert additional time or effort beyond what is typically associated with standard otoscopy, video otoscopy represents good clinical practice for the novice to the most experienced clinician.

recommendWith the number of video otoscope options out there, if I had to recommend just one video otoscope for the purposes of CYA during otoscopy, it would be the Firefly DE550 Wireless Video Otoscope (see comparison of video otoscope video by clicking here). This state-of-the-art video otoscope wirelessly transmits live video feed of the external auditory canal and tympanic membrane to a computer. Any image and video file saved by Firefly DE550 Wireless Video Otoscope defaults to the local PC; this location can be easily changed to a new default (i.e. Noah). This product has been on the market for three years with high reliability, low maintenance, and extremely low number of reported defects. Available for less than $400, the Firefly DE550 Wireless Video Otoscope is both portable and affordable. If anything, it is worth a try. For more information on both the wireless or wired versions of the Firefly, contact Oaktree Products at 800.347.1960.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tools to Help Your Patients Understand

Posted on August 13, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

presentingWhat would be the most efficient way to present information to patients about their hearing so that they understand the intent of the message being relayed? Verbally reviewing the results of audiometric testing with the  audiogram as a visual tool is something patients most likely expect; who wouldn’t want to see and hear about the results of a test pertaining to their health care? Furthermore, if there is an issue that needs to be further addressed, it becomes critical for the patient to understand the issue at hand in order to make the most informed decision. Since it is very easy for individuals to forget information they don’t understand or don’t take the time to comprehend, the following new counseling tools may be useful in helping your patients better retain information about their hearing.

earflipThe Ear Flip Card with Stand is the perfect tool to use with patients when discussing various aspects of ear canal anatomy or pathology.  Each set includes ten (10) double-sided cards depicting illustrations that include the normal adult and infant ears, middle ear effusion, external view of the tympanic membrane, middle ear ossicles, inner ear, tonotopic organization of the basilar membrane, cross section of the cochlea, healthy cochlear hair cells, damaged cochlear hair cells, audiogram of every day sounds, auditory neural BT-4111034pathways, and the auditory cortex. The stand makes it easy to flip through the cards as needed for a customized counseling experience. In addition, the Ear Tablet is tablet of 50 tear-off sheets illustrating a colorful cross section of the ear and something your patient can take home with them as reference. Be sure to check out the new line of posters on the ear, ear disorders, the audiogram of everyday sounds, and daily noise. Available in a variety of sizes as well as in English or Spanish, dry-erase markers (not included) may be used to write on and wipe off mark-ups. Free domestic shipping on your order during the month of August that includes any of these cool, creative, and colorful new counseling tools! For more information, contact customer service at Oaktree Products toll-free 800.347.1960.

 

 

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Spotlight Blog Post – Private Practice Audiologist Karen Jacobs, AuD

Posted on August 6, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

cool peopleOver the course of my professional career, I have met some very interesting and cool audiologists. Early on, when I was a “newbie”, I had a tendency to only talk “audiology shop” with whomever I could because I wanted to either learn about something specific I could apply with my patients and/or work environment. The connections I made with my early network were essentially all Audiology, all the time. As I settled into my career, interactions with colleagues obviously still involved audiology-related stuff but I started learning more and more about who my audiology colleagues were as people outside of the confines of the industry. By learning more about my colleagues as people, it actually helped me even learn more about who they really are as audiologist.

A few years back when I was in my last year as serving on the American Academy of Audiology Foundation Board, I had the chance to meet Karen Jacobs, AuD, President and Karen Jacobsowner of AVA Hearing Center (Grand Rapids, MI) a newly inducted Foundation Board Member with a lot of spunk. While our introductory common thread revolved around Foundation business, I got to know my fellow audiology colleague as a person. Born in Renselear, IN and raised all over the Midwest, Karen originally envisioned becoming an entomologist although she also had a scholarship offer to study theater. Based on a vocation test she took in high school, she enrolled at Central Michigan University to pursue her degree in Speech-Language Pathology.  The decision to pursue a career in Audiology, to establish her own private practice, and to give back to the profession is best outlined in the following interview I recently conducted with her.

AU: Tell me a little bit about your work life and your outside-of-work life

Karen:  I am the owner of AVA Hearing Center, a private practice established in 1998 and located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Currently, I work full-time and employ one full time Audiology Technician, one full-time receptionist, one part-time audiologist, and one part-time receptionist.

karen and daughterOutside of work, I am en empty nester; my daughter got married in July and started her 4th AuD year in Ohio.  My son graduated with a degree in zoology and works at a nature center.  My husband and I golf whenever we get a chance.  I have a beast of a dog who loves to walk for miles and miles so I log about 15 miles a week with him on our daily walks.  We live on a private lake so many evenings we will go out fishing.  At night we sit out in our hot tub and watch the shooting stars and talk over our day.  It is a quiet routine but a very enjoyable and relaxing routine.

 AU: When and why did you decide to pursue the audiology career path?

jacobsKaren: Because I knew from day one I was going to major in Speech-Language pathology, I always took 18-24 credits a semester and finished all my course work by the end of my junior year.  During my senior year at CMU, I was able to maintain a pretty heavy clinical schedule with some grad students. After a semester of articulation and fluency clinic, I really wondered if I was cut out to be a Speech-Language Pathologist. I ended up taking a course in acoustic, fell in love with the science and the audiology equipment, and I was immediately hooked.

AU: When did you realize you wanted to move forward with establishing your own private practice?

Karen: I had gone as far in my audiology job as I was ever going to go and was left unfulfilled. A very successful private practitioner and friend of mine would always challenge me by asking me “What more are you going to do in your current job?” She talentoften encouraged me to use my talent in a way that allowed me to control my destiny.  My husband was equally supportive and actually expressed concern that I wasn’t being challenged enough in my current job.  He knew that if I wasn’t challenged, I would get bored and would be miserable.  My husband went so far as to tell me that we should take our savings and bet on me being successful in staring a private practice.  It was this support and encouragement allowed me to make the decision to move out of my comfort zone and to establish my private practice in 1988.

AU: What have you come to realize has been the biggest misconception about owning your own private practice?

Karen: I thought I would have more control of my time. While I have been able to arrange my work schedule in order to get to my kids to their sporting events, something I never could have done with my previous job, you never leave your office mentally. You are always working on something. You are always responsible for something or figuring out new ways to do things better.

AU: Having been in private practivefor 6 years, what is the biggest piece of advice you can offer to anyone considering or just starting their own private practice?

adviceKaren: I would recommend to anyone currently in or considering private practice to take a good hard look at your skill set in terms of what you do well as well as assessing what it is you like to do and then envision your ideal daily activities. Use those skills you have and be prepared to hire out for those that you don’t have.  For example, for many years I tried to save a buck by doing my own accounting and marketing.  I hated both of these aspects of my job.  I was afraid to spend the money to hire help because it came out of my profits.  What I found was that the financial loss to pay for contracted services was nothing because it freed me up to do the things where my talents shined and this increased my business tenfold.  It also allowed me to do more of the things that I like to do.  This made my daily practice life much more satisfying and enjoyable.

AU: I heard that you established a scholarship for AuD students related to private practice. Can you tell me a little bit about when this was established, what this scholarship is all about, who can apply and how to apply?

Karen: Yes! This is the first year of the Audiology Private Practice Scholarship. I have spoken with many students over the years, inquiring as to what they would like to do once scholarship-marchthey graduate. Very few expressed a desire to start their own private practice. When I asked students if they would consider opening their own practice, it seemed that many were worried that they could never afford to do so or that they wouldn’t know how to run a practice. This scholarship was created to help bring awareness of a private practice as a career option specifically to 3rd year AuD students. It essentially is an essay contest with the first scholarship scheduled to be awarded in September 2014 to one the student submitting the best essay on establishing a private practice. Right now, this scholarship is available to 3rd year students at Central Michigan University (CMS) although I am hopeful other colleagues will follow suite and start a similar scholarship program through their own alma maters.

AU: What does the future hold for those considering opening up their own private practice?

future-aheadKaren: I do think that the future is bright for private practice. Private practice offers a great life style (especially for women with families) because it gives schedule flexibility, control over one’s own destiny and financial benefits. Right now there is a lot of concern about the Costco and Sams Club hearing aid sales but I think we can learn from the path other companies have had with these mega stores.  Focusing on the local and personal aspects of the private practice will attract patients that don’t want the McDonalds of hearing aids.  People want to feel special.  They want good service and top-notch care.  They are not going to get that in a warehouse store.

For more information on the Audiology Private Practice Scholarship, contact Dr. Karen Jacobs at karen@avahearing.com.

 

 

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Hearing Aid Stigma – Patient’s Perspective

Posted on July 16, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

packageHearing instrument technology has certainly come a long way over the past ten years.  Digital advances have made hearing instruments more versatile, offering consumers wireless connection to other devices including Smartphones and audio devices. Hearing instruments have also become smaller and re-designed to be less noticeable to the non-wearer, an aesthetic issue of relative high importance to the end-user.  As such, it serves as no surprise that the smaller receiver-in-the-canal/ear (RIC/RITE) BTE instruments represented approximately 60% of all hearing instruments sold in the commercial sector in the United States during the first quarter of 2014 (see Hearing Review article from April 11, 2014). From this perspective, one could argue that the hearing industry has accomplished the mission of not only providing quality hearing instruments, but presenting all the necessary components in a perfectly acceptable package.

a-different-perspectiveAs an audiologist, I assumed that the introduction of thin tube and RIC/RITE BTEs would essentially eliminate any reluctance on the part of the patient to actually wear hearing instruments. To me, they are not noticeable at all unless you knew what to look for and got really close to someone’s ear. So, when I was made aware of the new product Vanish, I simply could not see the need for such a product.  That perspective changed pretty quickly upon reading the following letter from a patient residing in San Jose, California:

vanish-1I would like to tell you how awesome I think your Vanish product worked for me.  I recently had to get my first hearing aids and did so very reluctantly.  My main issue was the stigma associated with wearing them.  I was positive that everyone would be able to see the tubes (refer to the image at the right), know I am wearing hearing aids, and for some reason think less of me.  I know this was wrong, but for the first three weeks I was so self-conscious about having the visible tubes running over and into my ear that I was continually looking in the mirror and trying to adjust them so they wouldn’t be so visible.    

vanish-2Today I had my tubes treated with the Vanish product and it completely changed the way I feel about wearing them (refer to image to the left).  Immediately after getting the treatment completed I asked my wife what she thought.  Her comment was that I needed to put them in so she could decide.  I told her I did have them in and she had to get her glasses out and get within about a foot to even see them.  I look in the mirror now and literally cannot see the tubes unless I turn my head sideways and get about six inches away. There is no way for me to express how grateful I am for Vanish. 

This is a product that could change the entire hearing aid industry as people would no longer feel the stigma of having to wear them.  I waited to get mine at least a year or two longer than I should have simply because I didn’t want to go through the embarrassment.  Due to this I missed out on so much because of my hearing loss.   I am maybe the happiest hearing aid wearer in the country today!

Keith Walters, San Jose Ca.

teachable-momentsThe unsolicited letter from a hearing instrument wearer offered a teaching moment to me as an audiologist.  Regardless of how unnoticeable a hearing instrument may seem to me, if a patient feels self-conscious about wearing appropriately fit devices for whatever reason, I need to listen and try to figure out a solution.  Of course, choosing NOT to wear hearing instruments when warranted and constantly asking Brain-Food-Food-for-Thought-245x300“What?” or admitting “I didn’t hear you” or “Can you repeat that?” tends to be way more noticeable to others; I totally get it. However, in this particular case, it is not about me as the audiologist.  It is about Mr. Walters and his desire to make his hearing instruments less noticeable.  Now there is an easy solution to this problem that you can offer your patients. So, if you experienced the same reaction to this product as I initially did, it may be worth reconsidering, particularly when a patient appears self-conscious about wearing hearing instruments. This is what they probably really want and you can certainly deliver! Food for thought to my #Audpeeps!

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Hearing Protection that is TRU Blue, Pink & Smoke

Posted on July 9, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

solution boxLooking for hearing protection that maintains sound quality across the frequency spectrum so you can enjoy listening to live music, sporting events, movies and/or other recreational activities? The TRU Universal WR20 Earplugs are a great off-the-shelf solution, offering full-frequency hearing protection for mid-level noise exposure environments by providing an average attenuation of 20dB and a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 12db.  The TRU Universal WR20 Earplugs come packaged with one travel case, one pair of TRU filters, and two pairs of flanged silicone earplugs, one large and one medium size, to ensure a comfortable and proper fit for nearly any adult ear. NOTE: the TRU filters come pre-inserted in the large earplugs but may be easily re-inserted into the medium earplugs as needed.  Available in blue, pink or smoke colors, the TRU Universal WR20 Earplugs are available from Oaktree Products. During the month of July 2014, get a small canister of tru_wr20AudioWipes FREE with every purchase of TRU Universal WR20 Earplugs from Oaktree Products! Looks that appeal with hearing protection AND infection control as part of the deal! For more information, contact customer service at Oaktree Products either toll free at 800.347.1960 or via email at otp@oaktreeproducts.com.

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Goals – Who need ’em? – guest post by Gyl Kasewurm

Posted on July 2, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

vacationMost people spend more time planning their vacations than they do planning their lives. If you asked my husband about his golf vacation, he would tell you every explicit detail about the trip; however, if you ask him when he is going to retire he will reply, “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.” He is 63 so retirement is definitely something he should be thinking about!

whereI know many people like my husband that drift along in life without actually knowing where they want to go. They work hard but have no particular destination in mind. That may be an acceptable way to get through life for some people but history has shown that goal setters accomplish twice as much as those who don’t. While my husband reminds me that life isn’t all about “accomplishing things”, I have found that setting goals has definitely helped drive my practice to a new level of success. If you don’t know where you are going, chances are you may not actually get there.

power-mdA key reason many people don’t set goals is that they don’t spend enough time thinking about what they really want out of life. Goal setting can serve as a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You’ll also quickly spot the distractions that can easily lead you off on a tangent that wastes time and money.

successAt its simplest, a goal is just a target to aim for but goals can also be powerful motivators that contribute to personal or professional growth. The process of goal setting can force us to think through our desires and motivate us to work harder to get what we really want out of life. The key to goal setting is that the goals should be specific and measureable. I have had a goal for at least ten years to “lose some weight”. I’ve lost “some” alright – the same five over and over again. You can’t measure what isn’t specific.

dreamIt’s nice to reach a goal and some people have a tendency to set a pretty low goal just so they can actually achieve it. Keep in mind however, that there is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars! My Mother used to say that I was the girl who wanted it all! She was right and I always believed that any star was reachable if you worked hard enough and believed you could get there. If you dream it, you can achieve it.

backGoal setting is also important when it comes to business. Of course the goal of any business is to be profitable. Most audiologists in private practice have lots of jobs to do and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose sight of the key aspects that contribute to profitability. This has happened to me many times. My written goals help me get back on track. At the end of each month, I review my numbers and compare where I wanted to be with where I am. If business is off track, I dig in and determine what I need to do differently to reach my goals.

We all have things that we want to achieve in our lives. Perhaps it’s getting into better
achieveshape, building a successful business, raising a wonderful family, writing a best-selling book, or winning a sports challenge. There are people like me that set goals for everything. I look at my watch before I enter the grocery store and set a goal for how fast I can get my shopping done. Anyone who knows me knows I overdo everything! While you don’t have to overdo, goals certainly give direction and assist with focus and follow-through.  If you never set goals, you will shortchange yourself in terms of what you could have accomplished.

accomplishPersonally, I enjoy setting goals because I like working for something specific and I delight in the sense of accomplishment when I reach one. We can let life happen, or we can make life happen. I prefer the latter. Don’t let life just happen this year. Take some time and write down three personal and three professional goals for the rest of 2014. Share at least one of your goals with us on this blog post in the reply section! You’ll be glad that you did!

gylDr. Gyl Kasewurm started her practice Professional Hearing Services in St. Joseph, MI immediately following graduation from Western Michigan University and that was thirty years ago. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Audiology Degree from Central Michigan University. Despite being located in a rural community of only 10,000 people, the single office generates 10 times the gross revenue of the average practice in this country. Dr. Kasewurm is a well known author and sought after speaker and prides herself on her advice on taking a practice from Fine to Fabulous! She is one of the founding “sisters” of Women Unite, a Facebook community page formed  to discuss and provide information regarding what women face in balancing life and work. Be sure to check out her Practice Success Blog and follow her on Twitter at @gylkasewurm.

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Thinking Outside of the Packaged Product’s Box

Posted on June 25, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

inside_outsideRecently, a customer was seeking a wireless communication solution for her clinical practice that would enable an audiologist to privately communicate with another audiologist during pediatric assessments. Specifically, the audiologist sitting outside of the audiometric booth (at the audiometer) needed a means to relay information to the audiologist residing inside the audiometric booth without the child or parent involved in the testing procedures to hear what was being communicated. Furthermore, the clinicians did not want to use the audiometer’s talk-back feature because it would require the audiologist to remove the headphones from the pediatric patient in order to hear instruction from the colleague outside of the booth. Removing and subsequently repositioning headphones was not practical.

hmmmInitially, the audiologist focused on gaining a better understanding of the features and benefits of various FM systems since that seemed to be the most logical solution. While an FM system certainly offers a solution, it would require spending a lot more money than  seemed justifiable given that the intended use would be limited to just one specific testing situation. At the time that this conversation was taking place, an alternative solution other than an FM system didn’t immediately come to mind.  At one point I did suggest investing in a relatively inexpensive Walkie-Talkie only to realize that part of the need was to keep the one way communication to the audiologist residing in the booth (with the child and the parent) private.

After hanging up the phone, this conversation was relayed to a colleague at work. By collectively talking through this scenario out loud and challenging ourselves to think think-out-of-the-boxoutside-of-the-box, a not-so-obvious product solution was identified.  In this particular situation, the ClearSounds Quattro 4.0 Bluetooth Listening System would totally work. The Quattro 4.0 (Item# CS-QT4) is a Bluetooth amplified neckloop that can be paired to a variety of Bluetooth devices such as cell phones, some landline telephones, TV, and audio devices (i.e. iPod, MP3). At this point, a logical question would be, “How in the world can a neckloop help two non-hearing aid wearing audiologists in this scenario?”

The Quattro 4.0 is equipped with a removable Bluetooth microphone; when placed close to the person(s) speaking, it will pick up the conversation and wirelessly transmit sound to the Quattro 4.0 base worn around the user’s neck. The base of the Quattro 4.0 is equipped hc-quattro4_openwith a 3.5 mm jack and designed to accommodate a pair of earbuds (included in the package) or stereo headphones. So, in this particular case, the Quattro’s removable Bluetooth microphone should be placed outside of the audiometric booth. It will pick up the voice of that audiologist and wirelessly send the signal to the neckloop worn by the audiologist residing inside the booth. With the use of the earbuds, the audiologist inside the booth will be the only person hearing what the other audiologist is relaying. Pretty neat, huh? For more information on the ClearSounds Quattro 4.0, check out the blog post Become a Member of Bluetooth Royalty.

 

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Looks that Appeal with Hearing Protection Part of the Deal!

Posted on June 18, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

KS-stickersWith kids out of school for the summer, more time than usual will most likely be spent listening to music via the iPhone, iPod, or MP3.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could automatically limit volume levels of personal audio devices to safe listening levels?  Then consider KidzSafe Headphones or KidzSafe Earbuds.  Both products feature custom drivers designed to limit device volume levels to less than 85 dBSPL.  The added bonus? The KidzSafe Headphones and KidzSafe Earbuds now offer a way for kids to customize their own products with a variety of removable decor stickers, offering looks that appeal with hearing protection remaining part of the deal! What a WIN-WIN-WIN for audiologists, parents, AND kids!

KS-herhimThe KidzSafe Headphones are designed with a fully adjustable headband. Packaging includes 50+ removable decor stickers, two sets of snap-on removal earpads (pink & purple or blue & orange), two 60″ removable tangle free cords (pink & purple or blue & orange) and a drawstring carrying bag (pink or blue). The KidzSafe Earbuds are available in a pink/purple or a blue/orange combination and packaged with 16 removable decor stickers, three pairs of silicone eartips (small, medium, large) for the perfect fit, and a drawstring carrying bag.  This is a great gift not only for your KS-bud_boy_sticker_d95d7f56-c661-4c93-a196-2b1041d01867_large KS-bud_girl_sticker_1024x1024pediatric patients, but your own kids as well! The kids just pick their color preference, stick on their stickers, and then rock ’em out in style while protecting their hearing.  For more information on the KidzSafe Headphones (Item# KS-2013-BLUE-HP or KS-2013-PINK-HP) and KidzSafe Earphones (Item# KS-2013-BLUE-EB or KS-2013-PINK-EB), call Oaktree Products toll free at 800.347.1960 and ask for customer service. While you are at it, LIKE Oaktree Products on Facebook!

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