Have you ever wondered, what your day should look like as a hearing aid specialist? Well, we are here today to give you an answer to the same. So make sure to read till the end!
As a hearing aid specialist (HAS), majority of your days will be spent working closely with your patients. Instead of seeing an audiologist, many patients are often referred to a hearing aid specialist for the fitting of their hearing aids.
Hearing aid specialists or hearing instrument specialists are professionals who help people get access to the right hearing devices based on their needs. You will work with different types of hearing devices and act as a guide to discuss patients’ options. As a hearing aid dispenser, you will be responsible to order hearing aids based on the patient’s needs.
HAS are also responsible for conducting hearing assessments, and fitting and dispensing hearing aids. You will provide counseling to patients and their families.
Hearing Aids Fitting
Hearing aid specialists are experts when it comes to fitting hearing aids. They can easily work around custom and non-customer hearing aids. For non-custom hearing aids, you will examine the ear closely to determine the right size that will fit the patient. For custom hearing aids, you will create an earmold to get a custom size.
The hearing aid specialists fit the hearing aid in their office to make sure it is working properly for the patient. You will be equipped to troubleshoot any problem the patient may experience with the hearing aids. You will also educate your patient on how to use the hearing aids and care for them properly.
Have questions about the hearing aids brand? A hearing instrument specialist is your go-to person. They work closely with hearing aid brands and thus are very knowledgeable about certain brands.
Administer Hearing Tests
HAS don’t just fit hearing aids, they can also administer hearing tests and discuss the results with the patient. Further, helping the patient in recommending a course of treatment to treat hearing loss.
Hearing instrument specialists can:
- Perform hearing examination
- Collect information, symptoms, medical history, and complaints
- Help with communication-related to hearing loss
- Counsel the patient and his family on techniques to improve hearing
As a hearing instrument specialist, you need to have excellent communication and interpersonal skill. This helps build trust and rapport with the patients.
No matter how similar or different each day looks, you can be sure that you are making a positive impact on your patients’ lives.
So in the nutshell, a hearing aid specialist is responsible to do the following:
- Interview/Intake
- Biologic check, testing, and interpreting audiogram
- Patient education, recommendation
- Hearing aid sale, if appropriate
- House calls, assisted living training
- Maintenance/troubleshooting (C&C, shell modification, tubing, etc.)
- Marketing – design, layout, drafting copy, approving
- Clerical – intake, filling, providing notes in the system
- Accounting, tax, and bookkeeping – tracking invoices, accepting payment, interacting with accountants, governmental and taxing authorities
- Credentialing and communicating with third-party referral networks (Hear.com, American Hearing Benefits, TRuHearing, etc.)
- Credentialing and communicating with insurance companies
- Compliance – CEUs and record keeping
The purpose of this blog was to give you a fair idea of the hearing aid specialist career, so you can make a better career decision on whether you should invest your time and money in a Hearing Aid Specialist course or not.
If you are interested to learn more about the 100% online Hearing Aid Specialist course offered by the Hearing Aid Academy, visit us at https://hearingaidacademy.com/ or call us at (903) 487-0097. We will be happy to help you.