Understanding Real Ear Measurement

 Hearing aid fittings that use real ear measurements produce superior outcomes in both quiet and noisy hearing environments.

You may have heard of real ear measurement before, but you might not know exactly what it is.  Real ear measurement is considered to be the gold standard for hearing aid fittings.  Understanding how it works and why it’s important will help you make better decisions with your hearing loss and ultimately lead to more successful outcomes.  In this article, we’re going to go over the details of real ear measurement – how it affects your success with hearing aids, and why it’s so vital when deciding on a proper hearing aid fitting.

The Goal of Hearing Aid Fitting

The goal of hearing aid fittings is to improve the ability to hear sounds and speech. So why do so many hearing aids end up not being used or just lying inside a drawer?  The usage (or lack of) of real ear measurements in the initial fitting is a big factor in hearing aid success.

It’s been proven that patients who have a “Real-Ear Measurement” experience, or REM for short, are much more likely to wear their hearing aids and get more use out of them.

How is Real Ear Measurement done?

Real-ear measurements, also known as probe microphone measurements, are considered to be the GOLD standard in determining whether a hearing aid user is receiving the correct level of amplification at every frequency. Real ear measurement is carried out to make sure that a hearing aid user can receive the best hearing improvement possible.

This means that the hearing aid is used in a real-ear environment, as opposed to an artificial test laboratory setting.  Real ear measurements are done by putting hearing aids on and inserting probes into the ears. The amplification of sound for each frequency range or tone is measured during the REM process.

100% hearing improvement is not always possible or guaranteed. The goal of audiologists using real ear measurement is to maximize the hearing aid benefit and give an improvement as close to 100% as possible.

With real ear measurement, hearing aids need to be programmed specifically for each patient.

The goal of real ear measurements not only focuses on making a hearing aid user hear better but also to feel more comfortable and confident in whatever hearing environment they may be in.

REM: Approved by Audiologists

In a recent survey performed by the Hearing Review, it was established that only 34% of audiologists surveyed across the US practice real ear measurements. In the study, it was determined that hearing aid fittings that used real ear measurements produced superior outcomes in both quiet and noisy hearing environments.

Our team at Atlantic Hearing Care provides the best evidence-based care to bring our patients the best crystal-clear hearing results. No more worrying about hearing aids that don’t work or fall short when it comes to performance.

So with real ear measurement, your unique hearing needs are addressed efficiently.  You can be confident you will be hearing at your best.

Put simply, real ear measurement is simply a way to measure how well someone hears in their daily life. It’s an important factor in hearing aid success because if the person doesn’t hear well enough, they are less likely to be satisfied with their hearing aids and this can lead to a high return rate on the product.

Real Ear Measurement

Audiologists at Atlantic Hearing Care practices real ear measurement in all hearing aid fittings. We want to make sure that our clients are getting the best out of their hearing aid, maximizing the full potential of the hearing device. Call us today to schedule an appointment.