Just a few months ago, no one could have foretold the scale of COVID-19 's impact on our healthcare. At Hart Hearing and Balance Centers, we are always searching for new and innovative ways to meet the needs of our patients, no matter what is happening around the world.
We're excited to introduce you to our telehealth service, which delivers the same advanced hearing care for current and new patients using face-to-face video appointments via their smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Our telehealth service helps you connect with one of our hearing experts-much like a typical office visit. Get the same standard of treatment and care wherever you are.
Remote hearing aid programming
A crucial part of what we do is programming hearing aids. According to a recent survey carried out by hearing professionals, more than one-fifth of patient visits are dedicated to programming changes, making them one of the most important services. Without you having to step inside a public environment, we can access and adjust your hearing aid settings via telehealth.
Program your hearing aids into your home environment
Hearing aids are not like glasses - it takes time and effort to get used to a pair of hearing aids — before you are satisfied, you will have to make several adjustments.
By adjusting your hearing aids while wearing them in your home, we fit to optimize for your everyday environment. We take into consideration the acoustics of the rooms you spend time in. All of these subtle signals help us deliver the most accurate settings for you.
Benefits of telehealth services
Even during a global pandemic, we still need good hearing care. Here are some of the benefits or using your telecare services:
More convenient:
Even before the pandemic, if you lived far from a hearing center, your access to hearing care may have been restricted. Fortunately, our remote services can help you overcome those geographic barriers.
Ideal for fine-tuning:
It takes time to get used to a new set of hearing aids — and before you're happy, you might need several changes. This is particularly true for first time hearing aid wearers. Telehealth helps you get all the sound tuning you need without the trouble of repeatedly arranging and commuting to in-office appointments.
Better for those with limited mobility:
The ability to receive virtual care means there's one less inconvenient trip to do if you 're homebound or in assisted living facilities.
Remote care with Phonak
The Phonak myPhonak application gives you the ability to contact your audiologist in real-time to adjust your hearing aids. The myPhonak app also includes a daily diary. The Hearing Diary records all of your hearing aids so that your audiologist can see how, where, and when you use your various audio configurations. It also lets you share your experience and satisfaction ratings with your provider, who can quickly and easily provide remote programming.
In a survey of patients with remote care, Phonak found that 92% would recommend virtual office appointments to others wearing hearing aids, with 64% of patients indicating that they prefer remote visits over face-to-face sessions. Remote care also receives high marks from hearing care professionals, with 80 percent indicating they have found remote sessions as effective as personal appointments.
Remote care with Oticon
Oticon's RemoteCare App syncs with devices like the Oticon Opn S and with other Bluetooth-capable hearing aids from the brand.
RemoteCare allows you to schedule an appointment with your provider, and have a video call, audio call, or text message session. While in a remote session, your provider may make real-time adjustments to your hearing aids in real-time. And during your virtual appointment, your provider can adjust the settings as many times as you wish. The Oticon RemoteCare app is compatible with iPhones and smartphones running Android.
What do I need to access telehealth services for my hearing loss?
There are some criteria that you need to meet to have access to Telehealth with us.
● Check that Telehealth is compatible with your device. Most modern hearing aids can be programmed remotely.
● Verify you have an active email address.
● Check that your wireless Internet is fast enough for video calls.
● Ensure that your smartphone is updated to the latest version of your operating system.
If you want to learn more about telehealth, we're here to help! Contact us today to learn more.