Fitting Assistive Technology for People with Hearing Loss: The Importance of Remote Microphone Systems′ Electroacoustic Verification

Regina Tangerino de Souza Jacob, Elaine Cristina Moreto Paccola, Érika Cristina Bucuvic and Manoel Henrique Salgado
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Regina Tangerino de Souza Jacob: Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 17012-901, Brazil
Elaine Cristina Moreto Paccola: Division of Hearing Health, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 17012-901, Brazil
Érika Cristina Bucuvic: Division of Hearing Health, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 17012-901, Brazil
Manoel Henrique Salgado: Bauru Faculty of Engineering, Production Engineering Department, UNESP, São Paulo 17012-901, Brazil

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-11

Abstract: The remote microphone system (RMS) must be appropriately working when fitting it in a person with hearing loss. For this verification process, the concept of transparency is adopted. If it is not transparent, the hearing aid (HA) may not capture the user’s voice and his peers appropriately, or the RMS may not have the advantage in gain needed to emphasize the speaker’s voice. This study investigates the influence of the receiver’s gain setting on the transparency of different brands and models of RMS and HAs. It is a retrospective chart review with 277 RMS from three distinct brands (RMA, RMB, and RMC) and HAs. There was an association of the receiver’s gain setting with the variables: brand of the transmitter/receiver ( p = 0.005), neck loop’s receiver vs. universal and dedicated receivers ( p = 0.022), and between brands of HA and transmitter/receiver ( p < 0.001). RMS transmitter (odds ratio [OR = 7.9]) and the type of receiver (neckloop [OR = 3.4]; universal [OR = 0.78]) presented a higher risk of not achieving transparency in default gain, confirming and extolling the need to include electroacoustic verification in the protocol of fitting, verification, and validation of RMS and HA.

Keywords: hearing assistive technology; remote microphone system; hearing loss (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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