The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) held its 2016 Annual Meeting March 8-10. Following a theme of “The Accessibility Challenge” to reflect the current focus of the hearing aid industry, HIA members and guests heard from an array of industry thought leaders.
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The authors propose an audiologic treatment shift from a site-of-lesion focus to a family-centered care perspective as a means of increasing the value of our services and the uptake of hearing devices.
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The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has issued a public invitation to the HLAA Convention 2016, being held June 23-26, 2016 at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC. The event features an extensive educational program and exhibit hall and trade show for people with hearing loss, their families, and the professionals who work with them.
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The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) has issued a formal response to the October report of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The PCAST report to President Obama contained its recommendations relating to hearing aid technology and consumer hearing products.
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On October 26, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released its official report to the President about hearing technologies and mild-to-moderate hearing loss in older adults. Since then, several key stakeholders have weighed in on the implications of the PCAST report with responses ranging from outright opposition to full support. Brian Taylor’s blog summarizes initial comments from stakeholders in the hearing healthcare field.
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In a public comment before the President’s Council on Science and Technology (PCAST), ASHA expressed grave concern and opposition to the Council’s recent recommendations related to accessibility to and affordability of hearing health care services. The PCAST recommendations included a new FDA classification of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.
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The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) held its 2015 Annual Convention last week at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, DC. Here’s a quick peek at some of the events during this year’s conference.
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In giving qualified support to the PCAST recommendations, ADA is the first among the hearing care professional organizations to publicly endorse, at least in principle, the PCAST’s report to the president. However, ADA listed a number of important qualifications emphasizing the importance of the audiologists’ role in hearing evaluation and diagnostics, dispensing, and aural rehabilitation, as well as some necessary standards for PSAPs, entry-level devices, and hearables.
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The hearing industry recently experienced a veritable blizzard of unexpected events, many of which have stunned industry observers (including myself). In short, all hell broke loose. Here Chief Editor Karl Strom enumerates the details that contributed to the storm.
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The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) held an open teleconference on October 23, 2015 to discuss its report, “Aging America & Hearing Loss: Imperative of Improved Hearing Technologies.” Among the PCAST’s recommendations are a distinct FDA category for “basic” OTC hearing aids without the requirement for consultation with a credentialed dispenser, and the FDA’s withdrawal of its draft guidance document regarding personal sound amplification devices (PSAPs), referring instead to this new category as “devices for discretionary consumer use.” The Hearing Industries Assn (HIA) strongly disagrees with the PCAST and says it will be responding to the numerous errors in the report.
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The HIA reported on a September 28 IOM teleconference that examined a Voluntary Standard for PSAPs, which is under consideration by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The IOM will hold a 4th public meeting to address a range of hearing health issues on November 13, 2015.
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In response to a statement from HIA, the Academy outlines why the formation of earVenture is in keeping with both the goals and objectives of the Academy, as well as in the best interests of consumers and the industry. It also raises its own concerns about HIA’s interference, asking that the industry trade association “reassess its position towards ADA’s actions, motives or objectives with regard to its relationship to earVenture.”
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On September 10, 2015, the IOM’s Committee on Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care for Adults held its third in a series of three open meetings in Washington, DC. The third meeting covered international perspectives on hearing aid accessibility, young adult perspectives on hearing loss, and improving accessibility and affordability.
Read MoreThe US Food and Drug Administration has unveiled 25 actions it intends to implement during 2011 to improve the 510(k) medical device approval process. It is unclear how the changes will affect hearing aid device approval, if at all.
Read MoreCourse is titled Neurovestibular Sciences Part II: The Balance Continuum.
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