HEARING AID SYSTEMS AND FITTING
AUD5RHD
2016
Credit points: 15
Subject outline
Hearing aid systems are a major component of the audiological management of hearing impairment. In this course, you will begin to develop a comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial impacts of acquired hearing loss on an individual and their family, and the fundamental principles and practices of rehabilitative audiology in adults. Through lectures and demonstrations, you will learn about the styles, components and electroacoustic characteristics of hearing aids. You will develop the skills necessary to select an appropriate hearing aid and/or assistive listening device based on a client's hearing loss, lifestyle and communication needs. Through hands-on workshops, you will learn how to take ear impressions, modify a selected device and verify its fitting in a clinical setting. You will also develop skills in informational counselling and patient follow-up. Your learning in this subject will be assessed through written exams and lab reports.
School: School of Allied Health
Credit points: 15
Subject Co-ordinator: Andrea Simpson
Available to Study Abroad Students: Yes
Subject year level: Year Level 5 - Masters
Exchange Students: Yes
Subject particulars
Subject rules
Prerequisites: Must complete 300 credit points in HZHAUD or HZHCAU or be admitted in HMAUD.
Co-requisites: N/A
Incompatible subjects: N/A
Equivalent subjects: N/A
Special conditions: Students enrolled in Bachelor of Health Sciences and Master of Clinical Audiology (HZHCAU) and Master of Clinical Audiology (HMAUD) will be given preference over students not enrolled in these courses.
Learning resources
Readings
| Resource Type | Title | Resource Requirement | Author and Year | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Readings | Handbook of clinical audiology. | Recommended | Katz, J, Medwetsky, L, Burkard, R & Hood, L 2009 | 6TH EDN, LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, PHILADELPHIA. |
| Readings | Hearing aids. | Recommended | Dillon, H. 2012 | 2ND EDN, BOOMERANG PUBLISHING, SYDNEY |
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
01. Demonstrates knowledge of the psychosocial consequences of hearing loss and the fundamental components of aural rehabilitation
- Activities:
- - Lectures and e-Learning: i. Impact of hearing loss on quality of life ii. Aural rehabilitation of adults with acquired hearing loss iii. Communication needs analysis iv. Counselling and follow-up; outcome measures v. A selection of 'Counselling skills' eLearning modules from the Phonak recorded lecture series - Workshop: performing communication needs analysis to establish rehabilitation goals - Components of a written examination
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Professional Practice(Professional Practice)
- Discipline Specific Competencies(Discipline Specific Competencies)
- Writing(Writing)
02. Demonstrates familiarity with styles and technological features of hearing aids and communicates an understanding of hearing aid candidacy
- Activities:
- - Lectures: i. Styles and components of hearing aids ii. Hearing aid electroacoustics iii. Hearing aid features: directional microphones, feedback cancellation, noise reduction and compression iv. Hearing aid candidacy and selection v. Factors affecting outcomes of device fitting vi. Hearing aid products: demonstrations and presentations by hearing aid manufacturers - Additional information (links to websites) provided on LMS - Components of a written examination
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Professional Practice(Professional Practice)
- Writing(Writing)
- Discipline Specific Competencies(Discipline Specific Competencies)
03. Performs impression procedures to produce earmoulds of manufacturable quality, and demonstrates an understanding of how to modify earmoulds/shells to improve hearing aid comfort and performance
- Activities:
- - Lectures and workshops: i. Earmoulds features and acoustics ii. Performing earmould impression procedures - students will practice impression taking on both model and live ears, and will submit impressions of their own ears which will be used to manufacture earmoulds for use in future learning activities. iii. Earmould modification - Earmould assignment: students will submit a written report and one sample impression generated during the workshop sessions.
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Professional Practice(Professional Practice)
- Discipline Specific Competencies(Discipline Specific Competencies)
04. Demonstrates an understanding of the measurement of hearing aid performance characteristics
- Activities:
- - Lectures, e-Learning and workshops: i. Measuring electroacoustic properties of hearing aids ii. Prescriptive and non-prescriptive fitting methods iii. Coupler versus real ear measurements iv. Verification and probe microphone measurements v. Device troubleshooting vi. A selection of 'Adult' eLearning modules from the Phonak recorded lecture series vii. Workshop: performing insertion gain procedures - Components of a written examination
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Writing(Writing)
- Discipline Specific Competencies(Discipline Specific Competencies)
- Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)
05. Demonstrates an understanding of commonly used assistive listening and alerting devices
- Activities:
- - Lectures and e-Learning: i. Personal FM systems and sound field amplification systems ii. Community services for hearing impaired adults iii. A selection of 'Rehabilitation' eLearning modules from the Phonak recorded lecture series - In-service education session by 'hearservice,' providing a hands-on demonstration of assistive listening and alerting devices - Components of a written examination
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Writing(Writing)
- Professional Practice(Professional Practice)
- Discipline Specific Competencies(Discipline Specific Competencies)
- Communication(Communication)
Melbourne, 2016, Semester 2, Day
Overview
Online enrolment: Yes
Maximum enrolment size: N/A
Enrolment information:
Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Andrea Simpson
Class requirements
Laboratory ClassWeek: 31 - 43
One 1.0 hours laboratory class per study period on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via face-to-face.
"Weeks 2 and 3"
Lecture
Eight 2.0 hours lecture per study period and delivered via face-to-face.
"In weeks 1 - 3 and 8 - 12"
LectureWeek: 31 - 43
Five 2.0 hours lecture per study period on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via face-to-face.
"Weeks 8 - 12"
LectureWeek: 31 - 43
Eight 1.0 hours lecture per study period on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via face-to-face.
"Weeks 5 - 12"
Assessments
| Assessment element | Comments | % | ILO* |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 1,000-word assignment. | 30 | 03 | |
| One two-hour written exam at end of semester. | 70 | 01, 02, 04, 05 |