STANDARD APPLICATION PROTOCOL FOR HEARING AIDS FITTING IN ADULTS WITH HEARING LOSS

¹İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Odyoloji Bölümü, İstanbul Hearing loss is a sensory impairment that can result in cognitive, psychological, and neurological issues. Therefore, it is important to compensate for the sensory deprivation caused by hearing loss. Hearing aids are the primary treatment used for this purpose in audiology. Therefore, it is crucial to select and adjust hearing aids based on the user's specific needs, considering their medical, audiological, psychological, physical, and cognitive condition. The process of applying for a hearing aid involves several steps. These include evaluating and informing potential users from various perspectives, conducting audiological assessments for hearing aid application, fine-tuning the hearing aid in accordance with objective and subjective tests, recommending assistive listening systems, and creating a follow-up/control program. However, the absence of a standardized application process in our country exposes individuals with hearing loss to varying levels of quality in hearing aid applications across different centers. To address this issue, a protocol has been developed and implemented to assist hearing aid sales and application centers in Türkiye in providing a consistent and high-quality service in accordance with a specific protocol. Keywords : Hearing loss, Hearing aids, Hearing aids fitting protocol, real ear measurement