Essentials of Modern Hearing Aids: Selection, Fitting, and Verification

Essentials of Modern Hearing Aids: Selection, Fitting, and Verification is a comprehensive textbook for graduate-level amplification courses in audiology programs. This is truly an "A to Z" textbook written with university faculty and their graduate students in mind. Topics include audiological pre-fitting testing, needs assessment and treatment planning, hearing aid selection, verification, orientation and counseling, post-fitting follow-up, and real-world validation.

The world-renowned authors have included numerous pre-fitting and post-fitting tests that can be conducted along with step-by-step protocols for their administration and scoring. They also review the selection of hearing aid styles and fitting arrangements, explain the process of obtaining an ear impression, and making critical decisions regarding earmolds and hearing aid plumbing. Essentials of Modern Hearing Aids provides guidance for selecting prescriptive fitting approaches and detailed protocols for the use of behavioral measures and real-ear speech mapping to both verify the fitting and assess special hearing aid features. Follow-up care and auditory training options also are reviewed, along with signal processing and technology.

Key Features:

• Included throughout the text are short paragraphs identified as "Technical Tips," "Key Concepts," "Things to Remember," "Points to Ponder," and "Soapbox" for quick reference.
• Interesting tidbits of information not quite relevant enough to include in the chapters, but yet too good to toss aside, are featured in the back of the text as "Endnotes."
• The text covers both foundation and direct clinical application.
• The veteran authors have over 100 years of combined experience in day-to-day patient care and clinical research.

Written in an accessible and easy-to-read style, this text includes not only reference information, but also tools supported by research and clinical experience. The information is presented in a way that is both accessible to clinical students with little experience in the field and with enough depth for even the serious hearing aid researcher. The text is also appropriate as a handy companion for busy clinicians a friendly resource where they can quickly find critical information needed for the next patient.

NOTE: This book comes with supplementary content on a PluralPlus companion website. If you purchase or rent a used copy of the printed book, the code to access the website printed inside the book may have been previously redeemed/used or be incorrect and you will not be able to use it. To guarantee access to the website, it is recommended you purchase a new copy of this book.

Todd A. Ricketts, PhD is a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the director of graduate studies in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, and the director of the Dan Maddox Hearing Aid Research Laboratory. He is a fellow of the American Speech and Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. Dr. Ricketts' research focuses on various aspects of hearing, hearing aids, and cochlear implants, and he has published more than 100 articles and book chapters on the topics.

Ruth Bentler, PhD is professor and chair in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder at the University of Iowa. A native Iowan, Dr. Bentler did not stray far from her roots, as her 40-year professional career has been at the University of Iowa, where she also obtained her professional degrees. She is a fellow of the American Speech and Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology. As the director of the Hearing Aid Laboratory for Basic and Applied Research, Dr. Bentler has been involved in numerous research endeavors involving the effectiveness of modern hearing aid features. She teaches graduate courses related to hearing aids and adult auditory rehabilitation, and has published more than 100 articles and book chapters on the topic.

H. Gustav Mueller, PhD, is a Professor of Audiology at Vanderbilt University and holds faculty positions with the University of Northern Colorado and Rush University. He is the senior audiology consultant for the Sivantos Hearing Group and contributing editor for AudiologyOnline. Dr. Mueller is a founder of the American Academy of Audiology and a fellow of the American Speech and Hearing Association. He has published extensively in the areas of diagnostic audiology and hearing aid applications and has coauthored several books, including the Audiologists' Desk Reference (Volumes I and II), Fitting and Dispensing Hearing Aids (first edition), and Modern Hearing Aids (Volumes I and II).