2018 Annual Conference

This presentation will address the effects of advanced hearing aid features and hearing aid tier levels examined both within and beyond the clinical setting. The first portion of the presentation will address hearing aid features such as frequency compression, digital noise reduction, and extended input dynamic range and their impact on hearing aid user performance. The second portion of the presentation will address hearing aid tier levels and their impact on hearing aid performance.

1. The participant will be able to identify the effect of frequency compression and digital noise reduction on speech understanding and listener satisfaction.
2. The participant will be able to identify the effect of extended input dynamic range on speech understanding, listener satisfaction, and preference.
3. The participant will be able to identify the effect of hearing aid tier levels on hearing aid performance measures.

This presentation will address the effects of advanced hearing aid features and hearing aid tier levels examined both within and beyond the clinical setting. The first portion of the presentation will address hearing aid features such as frequency compression, digital noise reduction, and extended input dynamic range and their impact on hearing aid user performance. The second portion of the presentation will address hearing aid tier levels and their impact on hearing aid performance.

1. The participant will be able to identify the effect of frequency compression and digital noise reduction on speech understanding and listener satisfaction.
2. The participant will be able to identify the effect of extended input dynamic range on speech understanding, listener satisfaction, and preference.
3. The participant will be able to identify the effect of hearing aid tier levels on hearing aid performance measures.

The technology update courses are an exceptional opportunity for each participant to learn more about the advances in technology from each manufacturer and how those advances may be of service to their patients. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about products they do not currently utilize that may be a good fit for their practices. The opportunity to learn about additional hearing programs is available as well. This will allow participants to know what programs are available and which their patients could qualify for to help them with better hearing health.

The current hearing aid delivery model is changing with the influence of third party payers, third party administrators and the dawn of Over-The-Counter hearing aids. Identifying and managing those business decisions will be discussed in this three hour session as well as Medicare regulations and codes pertinent to audiologists.

1. Participants will identify the effects of taking third party payers in their practices and how to incorporate them in your practice, if you choose.
2. Participants will identify the codes pertinent to audiologists and Medicare regulations.
3. Participants will identify how to incorporate Over-The-Counter devices in their practices.

The current hearing aid delivery model is changing with the influence of third party payers, third party administrators and the dawn of Over-The-Counter hearing aids. Identifying and managing those business decisions will be discussed in this three hour session as well as Medicare regulations and codes pertinent to audiologists.

1. Participants will identify the effects of taking third party payers in their practices and how to incorporate them in your practice, if you choose.
2. Participants will identify the codes pertinent to audiologists and Medicare regulations.
3. Participants will identify how to incorporate Over-The-Counter devices in their practices.

The technology update courses are an exceptional opportunity for each participant to learn more about the advances in technology from each manufacturer and how those advances may be of service to their patients. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about products they do not currently utilize that may be a good fit for their practices. The opportunity to learn about additional hearing programs is available as well. This will allow participants to know what programs are available and which their patients could qualify for to help them with better hearing health.

Physical therapists have an important role in the rehabilitation, recovery and management of vestibular involved patients. A multidisciplinary approach is a necessity for appropriate care and management of this patient population. Audiology testing/assessment results allow for a more guided approach to vestibular rehabilitation. Vestibular rehabilitation includes adaptation, substitution, compensation and habituation techniques to improve the brain's ability to process and respond to the messages from the visual, inner ear and proprioceptive systems.

1. Understand a physical therapists role with the vestibular patient population and when to refer to physical therapy.
2. Explain the difference between adaptation, substitution and habituation vestibular rehab techniques.
3. Understand the role of the cervical spine and symptoms of cervicogenic dizziness.

The technology update courses are an exceptional opportunity for each participant to learn more about the advances in technology from each manufacturer and how those advances may be of service to their patients. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about products they do not currently utilize that may be a good fit for their practices. The opportunity to learn about additional hearing programs is available as well. This will allow participants to know what programs are available and which their patients could qualify for to help them with better hearing health.

Wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) refers to a host of measures that provide a wealth of information about the function of the auditory conductive pathway. In current clinical practice, tympanometry is used to measure admittance of the middle ear to a discreet low-frequency stimulus. However, in reality the auditory pathway conducts sound over a continuous range of audible frequencies. The use of WAI allows for assessment of the conductive pathway over a wide range of frequencies providing a greater and more realistic insight into its function. Recordings of WAI are sensitive to minute alterations in the conductive pathway whether due to natural processes, e.g. developmental or age-related, or pathological ones. Often times, such alterations result in patterns of immittance recordings across frequency that are unique to the specific alteration. This makes for a great potential of WAI in the evaluation of conductive dysfunction, and differential diagnosis of underlying middle ear pathologies.

1. Describe the advantages of wideband acoustic immittance over tympanometry.
2. Define power absorbance, and describe recording patterns across frequency in a normal conductive pathway.
3. Interpret abnormal absorbance recordings, as they relate to the nature of conductive pathology.

As the audiology landscape changes in relation to pressures on pricing, managed care and the introduction of over-the-counter products, it has become necessary for audiologists to consider communicating the products and services they provide using an unbundled model. This course will use case studies to show participants the various issues and outcomes practices saw when introducing an unbundled strategy as part of their offering.

1. Participants will be able to identify the financial and operational considerations of transitioning to an unbundling model.
2. Participants will be able to analyze whether unbundling is an appropriate strategy for their practice.
3. Participants will be able to describe the steps necessary to align unbundling with their practice goals.

Diabetes related hearing and balance issues has only recently been acknowledged by CDC and other national and state agencies. Audiologists must educate themselves about the effects of diabetes on the body and then educate others in the medical and state agency community about audiological effects of diabetes. This process is in its infancy but is expected to transform audiological medical management of diabetes and other chronic diseases, with audiology input in the development of educational materials. Audiology services in skilled nursing facilities will be reviewed in light of the many residents in these facilities who have an increased rate of chronic disease, oto/vestibulotoxic medications and an 80% incidence of hearing loss.

1. State two reasons for the disruption of hearing and balance in the body.
2. List three chronic disease which can impact hearing.
3. Name two organizations that have rules or ethics for communication assessment in nursing homes.