Terry MacTaggart

It’s been over two years since our last commentary about hearing health and the road ahead, foreseen at that time. Since then, implementation of over-the-counter devices, the introduction of new players and channels, rapid evolution of technologies and a growing body of relevant research all suggest that steady progress is being made.   We still have a […]

Pattern recognition can be used to interpret pure tone test results as an essential aspect of a “smart” hearing health system that can sort basic hearing patterns into traditional audiological groups of routine or complex problems. Our software stemmed from many years of experience in audiology and medical clinics which included working at a major

While many will applaud the coming regulatory changes permitting the sale of OTC hearing devices, we need to consider more carefully possible negative impacts on consumers. Using a simplified approach to what is a mild or moderate loss bears some critical thinking. A basic question asks how such a loss should be defined as well as identified?

Harry Abrams’ response (“Auditory Training – A Familiar Value Proposition in an Era of Revolutionary Change”) to our initial post (“Navigating the Road Ahead”) was appreciated. We agree with him that one key to future success is to focus on rehabilitation as a core offering and to contemplate ways that such services can be provided to a much larger

Four years ago we wrote an article describing changes that were beginning to occur in the hearing business and speculating about what the implications might be (“Enable the Tribe and Speed the Journey Amid Turbulent Change” – Audiology Practices, Winter edition 2013). The gist of it was that a combination of new technologies, major demographic trends and

What does this wish list for consumers imply for the industry? Strengthening Education, Access and Availability are key ingredients. Also recognizing that while the industry with adaptation can provide important leadership, it will never attain the scale required to confront the problem entirely. Coalitions and partnerships will be required as well as new sources of public

Why are so many people left out? There are several well-known reasons – stigma of older age, access to services and acquisition cost of products being the major ones. These are well documented in the literature and summarized in the Academy of Sciences report and the subsequent Congressional Act of 2017 which mandated a new class of over the counter

Serving the Consumer – a New North Star?   Concerns about coping with the COVID-19 crisis and what may lie beyond has preoccupied our personal and professional lives thus far in 2020. And they will undoubtedly linger for a considerable time yet. One silver lining is a growing recognition of the importance of relating to our