Every year we see new features introduced by hearing aid manufacturers. However, it’s rare that the features change the way we fit hearing aids. A recent study published in last month’s Hearing Review* – states that Signia’s** Own Voice Processing (OVP) does just that – and more.
Patients’ annoyance with their own voice when fitted with hearing aids is a real problem, and, until now, there wasn’t an efficient solution. Turn down gain? That reduces speech understanding. Use a more open fitting? That reduces the effectiveness of directional technology and digital noise reduction. Tell them that they will “get used to it?” That’s not a real answer… plus they usually don’t.
A clinical trial has now confirmed that Signia’s OVP provides a substantial improvement in own-voice satisfaction by detecting and processing the hearing aid wearer’s own voice completely independently from all other sounds, including all other people’s voices. It’s beneficial to both different fitting strategies and different ear-canal couplings. Moreover, when the satisfaction with OVP is compared to solutions from competitor products, the study shows a significant OVP advantage—to the extent that own-voice satisfaction with OVP using a closed fitting is equal or superior to other products using an open fitting.
The study further states that improving satisfaction with a user’s own voice will
- encourage the acceptance of amplification
- increase hearing aid use
- reduce the need to troubleshoot own-voice issues
- reduce clinical visits
- encourage communication and social interaction
Having a more closed fitting will improve the benefit of directional technology and noise reduction, thereby improving speech recognition.
Curious to read it all? Visit.
*Using their own words: the leading, single-stop resource for the hearing industry.
**Signia is Sivantos Group’s premium brand.
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