Compression for Clinicians: A Compass for Hearing Aid Fittings, Third Edition - Softcover

Theodore H. Venema

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1597569879 ISBN 13: 9781597569873

Publisher: Plural Publishing, Inc., 2017

Synopsis

Compression for Clinicians: Considerations for Hearing Aid Fittings, Third Edition explains many developments that have taken place in the world of hearing aid compression, fitting methods, and real ear measurement. Directional microphones and digital features of noise reduction, feedback reduction, and expansion are also covered. The text aims to make difficult concepts easier to understand and to explain in plain language many topics pertaining to compression. The third edition recognizes two distinct clinical populations of sensori-neural hearing loss; mild-to-moderate on the one hand, and more severe on the other. These two clinical populations are well served by a corresponding pair of compression types; wide dynamic range compression and output limiting compression. Another double distinction held throughout the text is the two-part task for all hearing aids; providing gain and also, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. Gain is addressed by compression, while listening in noise is addressed by directional microphones and digital noise reduction.

New to the Third Edition:

• Includes new chapters on common clinical encounters (Chapter 1), real ear measurement (Chapter 5), and adaptive dynamic range optimization (Chapter 10)
• Distinguishes between sensory and neural hearing loss and devotes a separate chapter to each of these types of sensori-neural hearing loss
• Contains updated coverage of digital hearing aids, directional microphones, and digital noise reduction
• Retains a strong focus on the historical development of compression from yesterday s analog hearing aids to digital hearing aids of today

Compression for Clinicians is intended for those studying to become hearing health care professionals, including audiologists and hearing instrument practitioners. It is also intended for practicing clinicians who simply want to refresh their knowledge base concerning hearing loss and hearing aids. Clinically relevant and very thorough, it provides a relevant compass in the world of compression hearing aids.

Praise for the previous edition:
"This type of book could easily find a niche with Audiologists or hearing-aid dispensers...with some refocusing, it could easily become a classroom text or clinical reference guide to hearing aid fittings." - Jeffrey DiGiovanni, PhD, Ohio University
"Venema's text covers compression in more depth than Dillon's text, and Venema covers the topic in a format that is easy to understand. Venema presents a difficult topic in a user-friendly format." - Rebecca Henning, PhD, University of Wisconsin
"I think this is a very good book that thoroughly covers an aspect of hearing aids that is often not clear to many audiologists and dispensers. It is written in a language that is easy to read and understand." - Sarah Hickey, McIntire Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic
"Everything you wanted to know about compression but were afraid to ask." - Roger Green in ''British Journal of Audiology'', April 2000

About this title

Review

"The chapters are easy to read, using very accessible language, light-hearted asides and humour, along with clear and memorable analogies. The author does an excellent job of briefly introducing later topics and referring back to earlier concepts, so that the reader always has a good roadmap of the overall picture. . . . I particularly recommend it for students who need an accessible and clear introduction to complex topics, as a way to ease them into a mind frame of being ready to delve deeper into the topic. The book is also potentially useful for instructors of amplification, providing ideas for classroom teaching. Finally, I can recommend this book for practicing clinicians who need a quick, easy-to-read reminder of topics related to hearing aid processing and verification, or who are looking for examples of how to explain difficult concepts to their clients." --Lorienne M. Jenstad, School of Audiology & Speech Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada in the International Journal of Audiology 2017

"This book aims to make the sometimes difficult-to-understand theories more understandable. The author achieves this in an engaging and often amusing way; you can never have too many song lyrics in a book to help the reader understand the wider picture!

The book begins with descriptions of topics you should know but might have forgotten or have misinterpreted; there were a few oh I didn t know that! moments. Particularly interesting chapters follow on the history of prescription formulae, as well as noise reduction and directional microphones and the difference between these features in the real world. The author splits the analysis of cochlear hearing loss nicely into IHC and OHC, together with an excellent chapter on the benefits of performing REM.

. . .Overall, an easy-to-read book, with relevant and up-to-date information, which covers some topics perhaps only discussed while studying to become an audiologist." --Greg Nassar, Principal Clinical Scientist (Audiology), Head of Audiology Services, Trafford Hospitals, Manchester, UK in ENT & Audiology News (January/February 2019)

Edition details

• Publisher: Plural Publishing, Inc.
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1597569879
• ISBN 13: 9781597569873
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 416