In article <3otknn$715 at geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>, sirianni at uts.cc.utexas.edu
(Jeffrey Sirianni) wrote:
>>My wife Libby, a dispensing audiologist, tells me that most of her patients
>>who have been fitted with the MultiPro use three or four distinct
>>programs. In a few cases, Libby has duplicated a a couple of the programs
>>at a different amplication level because the MultiPro doesn't have an external
>>volume adjustment, thus using most of the program slots which are
>>availible. The bottom line is that Jeff is right, most of the time
>>a 4 memory instrument would be sufficent.
>> Does your wife put age as a consideration in dispensing the MultiPro?
I am sure Libby's responce (she isn't home right now) would be:
How would anyone even slightly competent not take the individual's
entire life situtation into account, which of course includes age.
> My
> experience with Resound, with other persons, suggests that sometimes
> 2 memories are difficult. I usually start with the identical program
> in both memories as a start. Later I'll modify the second memory for
> less low freq. amplification for noisy situations, like crowds.
I know that Libby's responce to this would be that this question is
getting at the art of a good fitting. Given the complexities
of a person's life situation, hearing lose, capibilities,
appropriate technologies, diffuculty of the listening situtations, etc,
there are a variety of options which could add up to a successful fitting.
If two programs and a remote are too difficult for a patient to master,
one alternative (but not the only one is) using one of the single
program, programmable instruments (ReSource and 3M have them now).
> My thoughts are that older persons may have trouble remembering what
> setting is for what...
My understanding is that understanding the patient *before* you select
any instrument is very important. I would be reluctant to generalize
too much who might have what problems. This should be determined on
a person by person basis. I have a few friends who have been fitted
with 4-5 programs in the 3M MultiPro. I know they don't worry about
which program they are in, the just cycle through like a TV remote
until the find a program that they like (that is the best sound).
Since the instrument has a memory that records things like the time
spent in each program, the audiologist can make appropriate adjustments.
--Mark
