Phonak, a global provider of hearing instruments and wireless communication solutions, recently organized the first, in what is planned to become regular, Expert Research Circle meetings, the company announced. Eight renowned experts from across the globe were invited to participate in this initial exchange with a number of Phonak participants. The main goal of this new approach is to engage in an open dialogue about key areas in hearing aid research.
For a full day, the group of experts discussed the key topics “Ecologically Valid Methods of Assessing Hearing Aid Performance” moderated by Graham Naylor, scientific programme leader of the MRC/CSO Institute of Hearing Research—Scottish Section, in Glasgow, UK, and “Clinical Benefits Beyond Speech Perception,” moderated by Brent Edwards, director of the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) in Sydney, Australia. In both sessions, areas of consensus and important next steps in order to bring findings closer to clinical practice were discussed. In addition, links and synergies between parallel work streams among participants were identified.
“With this first Expert Research Circle meeting, it was our ambition to exchange views and experiences about essential research topics that are currently top of mind in the hearing aid industry,” explained Christine Jones, director at the Phonak Audiology Research Center (PARC) in Warrenville/Chicago. “We also wanted to provide our guests with a look behind the scenes at Phonak.”
Going forward, Phonak plans to host recurring Expert Research Circle meetings with a changing set of select key researchers in the field of audiology.
For an overview of Phonak scientific evidence please visit the Phonak Evidence Page.
Source: Phonak
Image: Phonak