It is rare to have a column about a review of an article—especially an article from almost 40 years ago—but the 1983 publication by Skinner and Miller is a must-read (or must re-read) article. It describes the work primarily done by Margaret (Margo) Skinner in her PhD thesis.
Valente et al found that 79% of the study participants preferred the programmed fittings using REM versus the first-fit. They conclude that “Using a first-fit alone without reprogramming using REM is fitting hearing aids blindly and not determining whether the patient is being provided appropriate audibility for soft and average speech…The audiologist or hearing aid dispenser can never be certain if he/she is appropriately fitting the patient without using REM.”
The Adult Audiology Casebook, released by Thieme Publishers in December 2014, is a compendium of key clinical cases designed to help clinicians develop the critical thinking skills necessary to diagnose and treat patients.
