Collin County Living Well Magazine November/December 2016 | Page 23
The Value of the Audiologist
By Elizabeth Brassine, Au.D.
in Hearing Care
F
rom the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep,
sound plays an important role in our lives. Whether it’s
alerting us to danger, delivering needed information,
or making us simply laugh, smile or cry, sound informs,
entertains, and connects us to the world. Consequently,
when we experience hearing problems and begin to lose
this vital sense, and eventually, most of us do, we also begin to lose those connections and diminish our ability to
be engaged, entertained, and informed. It’s not uncommon
to hear people who suffer from hearing impairment say it
impacts their “quality of life.”
The sooner we seek treatment for hearing problems, the
more successful we’ll be at slowing the negative social,
psychological, cognitive, and health effects that come with
it. Once you suspect your hearing has declined, it’s time to
take action. The next step is to seek out a hearing care professional who will give you a thorough evaluation including
a lifestyle discussion. Your audiologist will show you the
best solutions to fit your unique needs and lifestyle.
Did you know that the single biggest contributor to a suc-
cessful outcome of hearing aid use is the professional?
According to one large study (MarkeTrak VIII), the professional, along with the clinical protocol they use, makes a
bigger difference to success with hearing aids than the
technology itself. Also, in focus studies completed by the
Hearing Industries Association and those reported in Consumer Reports, the success or satisfaction (or as it’s called
delight in the studies) of hearing aid usage was found not
to be related to the type of loss, style of hearing aid, type of
payment, or referral source but due to the hearing care professional themselves. Specifically, the consumers reported
the following items as things that audiologists did that led
to “delight” with their hearing aids: assume that the patient
had little or no prior information, offer educational information on hearing loss and causes of loss, explain how
the hearing aids work, discuss which hearing aids would
be more appropriate for a given person and reasons why,
see patients routinely for follow up appointments, provide
explanations of first week experiences, and what to expect.
If you’re concerned about your hearing, visit your audiologist today!
Dr. Liz Brassine is an audiologist the owner of Hearing Services of McKinney. You may reach her at 972-838-1300.
HEARING SERVICES
of McKinney
Better Hearing Keeps You Connected!
• Staffed by 2 Licensed, Doctors of Audiology
• Hearing Aid Fittings, Maintenance and Repairs
• Invisible Fittings/Open Fittings
• Evaluation Period On All Hearing Aids
• Hearing Evaluations For All Ages
• Wireless/Connectivity Hearing Solutions
• Battery Purchase Programs
“After 10 years of training hearing
• Custom Ear Protection
professionals, I decided to come home
• Assistive Devices
to McKinney to do what I love
most-helping the hearing impaired”.
• 26 Years of Experience
Liz Brassine, Au.D.
Locally Owned and Operated
Financing Options Available
Mon-Fri: 8:30am- 5:00pm
Other times available by appt.
972.838.1300
www.hearinmckinney.com
4201 Medical Center Dr, Suite 270
Across from Medical Center of McKinney
LIZ BRASSINE, Au.D.
DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY
COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
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