title: The role of assistive devices in the rehabilitation of hearing impairment.
abstract: Formal investigation and clinical experience have revealed success in the use of assistive devices in aiding speech understanding where conventional amplification alone has failed. The long-term benefits of this technology are keeping people, particularly the elderly, socially engaged and independent. To accomplish this end, hearing health care professionals have not only to arm themselves with a rapidly advancing, complex array of technical tools, but also to apply them efficaciously. This article provides an overview of these tools, the procedures for using them, the criteria for selecting them, and the resources for obtaining them. A discussion of the various types of assistive devices and their application is followed by a review of the principles for selection and fitting and concludes with a review of the modern role of the hearing health care provider.
authors.affiliation: Audiology Section, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington 98108, USA.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Loovis
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Schall
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Teter
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013067:Speech Perception; D013685:Telecommunications