Re: Making up for hearing test reliability

I do not agree with very much of what you've written here, and consider it
an unwarranted assault against a well respected profession.

Audiologists are very well trained to recognize differences between
patients. Of course there are false positive responses. It's part of the
evaluation and occurs every tone, every patient. It is why we go through
years of study, to recognize and adapt to patient variability. The technique
is called the Hughson-Westlake Method. It has built in verification.

The hallmark of good evaluation is the repeatable response over multiple
presentations of multiple tones. That will always produce an accurate
response, regardless of bleeding, etc. In special cases, for those whose
responses may be compromised, there are other ways of discovering hearing
thresholds, ABR or electrocochleography, e.g.

Dr. Ridenhour




<ed@mdsp.com> wrote in message
news:tjnmq35h9keh079imn83e383385soir8j2@4ax.com...
> Michael:  Regarding the accuracy of the typical pure tone threshold
> audiogram.  You are right in that they can be accurate insofar as what
> is put into the ear of the patient.  But, at that point accuracy is a
> function of patient response, and the limitations of the overall
> concept.
>
> Patients vary in how they respond to pure tone stimuli.  There are
> always false responses.
>
> And as you know, false responses from dead regions bleeding over to
> operative regions is common with the severe/profound.   Ed
>
>
>
> On Wed, 6 Feb 2008 22:45:09 -0500, "Michael Ridenhour"
> <ocie@medbush.net> wrote:
>
>>
>><zbrntt@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:5ec0bd3e-120c-4c2d-ba7a-32005cb80604@k39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>>On 6 ªubat, 23:23, "Michael Ridenhour" <o...@medbush.net>
wrote:
>>> <zbr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>
>>> news:2ffe9f8c-757b-4dec-be28-2e8b2949d8dc@b2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>>>
>>> > Hi,
>>>
>>> > Thanks for all your comments about the reliability of a hearing test.
>>> > I'm guessing that even if it isn't a hundred per cent reliable, you
>>> > get to make up for the error with the adjustments on a digital aid. Do
>>> > people often go back to the store or fiddle with the programming
>>> > themselves after an aid has been fitted, to get the best settings?
>>>
>>> > Jan
>>>
>>> The audiologist can listen to your experiences and desires for better
>>> hearing in different venues and will set the aids accordingly.
>>> First time fittings are almost always intended to introduce a newbie to
>>> ampified sounds. A second and possibly third visit is for fine tuning.
>>> Take
>>> advantage of them, they can make all the difference!
>>>
>>> Hearing testing done by an audiologist is highly accurate. We get
>>> doctorates
>>> for it.
>>>
>>> Dr. R.
>>
>>It's true that when I tried out a Widex aid everything suddenly
>>sounded a LOT louder, and I wondered if they set it wrong. I guess
>>this is something I'll get used to, right?
>>
>>Jan
>>
>>Maybe go back and have it set a step lower. I find its better to come up
>>to
>>the loudness needed rather than meeting a sort of goal right off the bat.
>>
>>Michael
>>
[ Auf dieses Posting antworten ]