All

Whisper Launches 4th Upgrade to Whisper Hearing System

Today’s latest upgrade is said to “improve the hearing experience offered by the Whisper earpieces so that users have a better experience if they don’t have the Whisper Brain with them.”

All

Amptify and Blueprint Solutions Announce Partnership

Amptify and Blueprint Solutions have announced a partnership and an integration of their cloud-based audiology software for hearing healthcare professionals.

All

Knowles Partners with Lucid Hearing

Knowles and Lucid Hearing, a hearing aid company, have partnered to bring the hearing health industry the Westone Audio High Fidelity DWT, a hearing aid with a Receiver in Canal (RIC) that delivers “exceptional sound quality for music listening.”

Hearing Loss

Telehealth May Expand Access for Pediatric Hearing Screenings

Audiologists and ear doctors simply don’t exist in some rural areas. There are 696 audiologists in North Carolina, and just 122 of them have mailing addresses in rural counties, according to data from the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

Prevention

NIOSH Study Tracks Usage of Hearing Protection

Among all workers exposed to noise in 2014, NIOSH researchers found the majority (53%) did not wear hearing protection consistently. Industries with the highest HPD non-use among noise-exposed workers included accommodation and food services (90%), health care and social assistance (83%), and education services (82%). Additionally, some of the industries where noise is a well-recognized hazard, were found to have high prevalences of HPD non-use, including agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (74%), and construction (52%).

Tinnitus

Cicadas’ Buzzing Sound Could Worsen Tinnitus

With this year’s return of cicadas, many will view the mostly harmless insects as an annoyance. However, the bugs’ high-pitched buzzing sound — which can be loud enough to drown out a jet plane flying overhead — could potentially worsen tinnitus.

Practice Building

ASHA Releases 2022 MPFS for Audiologists and SLPs

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced that its 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) resources for audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are now available on the Medicare outpatient payment webpage.

Hearing Aids

Widex Launches Moment BTE R D Hearing Aid

Widex USA Inc announced its “first-ever rechargeable behind-the-ear hearing aid offering PureSound, LED indicator, telecoil, and direct streaming to iPhone and Android.” With the new Widex MOMENT BTE R D, patients with “hearing loss from minimal up to severe-to-profound can now benefit from Widex’s unique natural sound processing.”

Inside Hearing

ReSound Partners with ‘Gift of Hearing’ Campaign

In this nationwide effort, the aim is to donate $1 million worth of ReSound ONE hearing aids in 2022 to people with hearing loss who are experiencing financial hardship.