IHS - International Hearing Society Hearing Instrument Fitting Questions and Answers

Question 1

A client with a severe-to-profound, steeply-sloping sensorineural hearing loss requires a new BTE hearing aid.
To prevent acoustic feedback and provide adequate low-frequency gain, which of the following earmold characteristics is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A soft silicone material with no vent and a long canal

Answer

A soft silicone material with a small parallel vent

Answer

An open-fit dome with a large vent

Answer

A hard acrylic material with a large vent

Question 2

A new hearing aid user complains that their own voice sounds loud and hollow, as if they are 'talking in a barrel.' This client has good low-frequency hearing. Which of the following is the MOST common and effective modification to alleviate this complaint?

Accepted Answer

Increasing the size of the vent or adding a vent.

Answer

Increasing the overall gain of the hearing aid.

Answer

Switching from a soft dome to a hard acrylic shell.

Answer

Reducing high-frequency amplification.

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of measuring the Real Ear to Coupler Difference (RECD) during a hearing instrument fitting, especially for pediatric patients?

Accepted Answer

To account for the individual's ear canal acoustics, allowing for precise verification without requiring the patient to be present for the entire measurement.

Answer

To measure the maximum output of the hearing aid before it is placed on the ear.

Answer

To verify the function of the directional microphones in a quiet environment.

Answer

To subjectively assess the client's perceived sound quality and comfort.

Question 4

During a follow-up appointment, a client reports that while the hearing aids are helpful in quiet settings, they still struggle significantly to understand conversations in a noisy restaurant. Which verification measurement would be most effective to objectively demonstrate the benefit of the hearing aid's noise reduction technology?

Accepted Answer

Real-ear measurement with a speech-in-noise signal, comparing directional microphone and noise reduction feature activation.

Answer

Aided soundfield thresholds (functional gain).

Answer

Real-Ear to Coupler Difference (RECD).

Answer

Maximum Power Output (MPO) measured in a 2cc coupler.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the difference between hearing aid verification and validation?

Accepted Answer

Verification is the objective measurement of the hearing aid's acoustic output in the ear, while validation is the subjective assessment of the client's perceived benefit.

Answer

Verification is measuring functional gain in the soundfield, while validation is measuring insertion gain with a probe microphone.

Answer

Verification uses manufacturer software to program the aid, while validation uses a standardized questionnaire.

Answer

Verification is the process of taking an ear impression, while validation is confirming the physical fit of the earmold.

Question 6

A practitioner is performing functional gain testing to assess the benefit of a new hearing aid fitting. The results show the aided thresholds are 15-20 dB better than the unaided thresholds across most frequencies. This measurement provides information about the:

Accepted Answer

improvement in the audibility of soft sounds.

Answer

hearing aid's performance in noisy environments.

Answer

maximum output level of the hearing instrument.

Answer

frequency response as measured at the tympanic membrane.

A client with a severe-to-profound, steeply-sloping sensorineural hearing loss requires a new BTE hearing aid.To prevent acoustic feedback and provide adequate low-frequency gain, which of the following earmold characteristics is most appropriate?

A client with a severe-to-profound, steeply-sloping sensorineural hearing loss requires a new BTE hearing aid.
To prevent acoustic feedback and provide adequate low-frequency gain, which of the following earmold characteristics is most appropriate?