audiology-worldnews.com special issue euha congress · 2014. 10. 14. · sale of hearing aids...

October 2014

EUHA CongressSPECIAL ISSUE

Martin Blecker“With vocational, industrial and political discussions and workshops we can learn from each other”

Jakob Stephan Baschab“Every acoustician is an audiologist, no matter if he has studied or not”

ResearchBilateral cochlear implantation under the prism of the disruptive technology concept

Product guide included

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Find here the programme of the congress!

A W H O L E P A C K A G E O F N E W B E N E F I T S

L A R G E R PA C KS W I T H

E N H A N C E D B O A R D

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Contents Editorial

EUHA congress 2014

Get to know us! ...................................................... p. 35

In briefAudiology news from all over the world ....... p. 4Events of the profession .................................... p. 10

EUHA congress 2014

Congress programme ............................................ p. 12

Interview Martin Blecker, EUHA President ..................... p. 14Jakob Stephan Baschab, biha ............................ p. 16German Association of the Hearing Instruments Industry (BVHI) ........................... p. 20

ProductsWhat’s new? ............................................................. p. 22

Focus on

MarketingWhat to do when the patient says “It’s too expensive” .............................................. p. 26

Sales reportMarket study of Western Europe .................... p. 30

ResearchBilateral cochlear implantation under the prism of the disruptive technology concept .............................................. p. 32

Discover the world of hearing technology!Audiology Worldnews welcomes you to the 59th EUHA

International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians

in Hannover. This convention is unique in the world

as it is the largest of its kind and brings together

scientists, dispensers, manufacturers and many other

participants in our industry. It combines the scientifi c

and commercial aspects of audiology, audiological

technologies and accessories, and gives you an

overview of the latest developments in these fi elds.

The most exciting developments in our industry are

certainly improved speech comprehension in noisy

environments and wireless linking of hearing aids with

consumer electronics, and the multiple applications

resulting from it.

Enclosed in this brochure is an overview of the

congress programme, with all lectures to be held

in English or simultaneously translated into English.

If you’re looking for the latest news on the sector,

we invite you to the Audio Infos stand (C 13) in the

exhibition hall. There you’ll fi nd, besides the Audiology

Worldnews you are reading, seven different editions

of our magazines: German, French, English, Spanish,

Russian, Brazilian and South American contents so

you can catch up with audiology news from all over

the planet.

Enjoy your stay in Hannover!

The Editorial Team

AUDIOLOGY WORLDNEWS – Special Issue EUHA Congress - Published by EDP Santé : 109, avenue Aristide Briand CS 90042 92541 MONTROUGE Cedex – France - SARL de presse au capital de 200 000 € - RCS d’Evry 429 728 827

Director of publishing: Jean-Marc QUILBÉ. International Editorial Coordination: Evi MOSER - [email protected], Judith ESCALES – [email protected]. Editorial staff: Victoria ADSHEAD, Constance AUBIN, José Luis FERNÁNDEZ, Rainer HÜLS, Craig STEVENS – Website: www.audiology-worldnews.com. Printers: Imprimerie de Champagne - 52200 Langres – France. Advertising: Noëllie GRACIA - Phone : 0033-1-41 17 73 99 - [email protected]. A publication of the EDP Sciences Group - Edition Diffusion Presse Santé SARL P.A. de Courtaboeuf - 17, avenue du Hoggar - BP 112 - 91944 Les Ulis cedex A – France - www.edpsciences.org. Free special issue distributed in occasion of the EUHA congress held in Hannover (Germany) from 15th to 17th October 2014.

Front cover: © Warakorn Harnprasop - 123rf

October 2014

EUHA Congress SPECIAL ISSUE

Audiology news fromall over the worldEUHA congress 2014

Tinnitus-afflicted individuals process emotions differently

FINDING - Researchers from Urbana-Champaign

University, Illinois, have shown that people with tinnitus

process emotions differently from those with normal hearing. Using

brain imaging (functional MRI), they were able to identify that there

are signifi cant differences in how the brains of people with tinnitus

and those with normal hearing react when submitted to emotion-

inducing sound stimuli (such as a crying child, somebody laughing,

etc.). For their study, the American team used 37 subjects, divided

into three different groups: people with hearing loss and tinnitus;

people with hearing loss without tinnitus; and people without hearing

loss or tinnitus. Each of them listened to a set of 30 unpleasant

sounds, 30 pleasant sounds, and 30 emotionally-neutral sounds,

and their brains were simultaneously observed with a functional MRI.

Results show that activity in certain areas of the brain varies from

one group to another. What is most interesting is that for people with

tinnitus, the difference in brain activity does not occur at the level of

the auditory cortex, but rather in other areas of the brain such as the

limbic system, which, among other things, is responsible for

processing emotions. This shows that the brains of patients with

tinnitus process sound the same way but process emotions

differently. For the authors, this is a mechanism used by the brain to

adapt to the tinnitus, thereby testifying to the brain’s plasticity.

Activity in the amygdala, a brain region associated with emotional

processing, was lower in the tinnitus and hearing-loss patients. The

authors argue that this means that a part of the amygdala has been

reassigned to new functions, so as not to be in active all the time due

to the unpleasant sound produced by the tinnitus. In the future, the

team of researchers hopes to determine the exact link between

tinnitus and the amygdala, as well as each of the brain areas

analysed during these experiments. B.S.

Source: JR Carpenter-Thompson et al. Alterations of the emotional

processing system may underlie preserved rapid reaction time in

tinnitus. Brain Resaearch 2014;1567:28-41

An evening of excellence to crown europe’s audiologist of the year

EVENT - As one of the highlights

of this EUHA congress, Rayovac is hosting

its annual Evening of Excellence event on

Wednesday 15th October. The gala is an

opportunity for industry wide professionals to come

together and celebrate the announcement of the

2014 European Audiologist of the Year.

Representatives from Rayovac, Audio Infos and

the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers

Association (EHIMA), will announce the overall

winner of the prestigious competition at the event.

The award is run in partnership between the three

organisations and celebrates the outstanding work

of audiologists across Europe.

Hearing care practitioners that go above and

beyond the call of duty are nominated for the award

by their patients, before an independent judging

panel selects a victor from each of the eight

participating countries; France, Germany, Spain,

Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, the UK

and the Netherlands. One overall champion is then

selected to be crowned the European Audiologist of

the Year 2014.

Paula Brinson-Pyke, Marketing Director at Rayovac,

said: “The Evening of Excellence is a real highlight

of the year for us at Rayovac, it’s wonderful to

come together with so many of our peers and enjoy

a night of entertainment, as well as rewarding the

hard work of our hearing practitioners.”

Source: Rayovac

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Find Audio Infos magazines in our stand!

We are at the C13 booth in the exhibition hall

4 - - EUHA Congress Special - October 2014

Siemens: 2 billion Euro potential benefit from hearing aids divestmentMARKET - The German

industrial group Siemens is

renewing efforts to divest its hearing aids

business and could earn up to 2 billion

Euros (USD 2.7 billion) from the deal.

In the past, Siemens has tried to divest

this business that has 700 million

Euros in annual sales. Corresponding

earnings amount to 160 to 170 million

Euros. The company’s objective, under

the leadership of Chief Executive

Joe Kaeser, is to focus on its highest

earning businesses to increase

profi tability. It is involved in a wide

range of industrial sectors, from energy

to transport and healthcare.

It is not yet clear what form the

divestment might take. Siemens

Audiology Solutions

could be fl oated

if there is enough

investor interest. In

another scenario,

Siemens may decide to

spin off the business.

Selling the hearing aids

business to private

equity investors or to

another company remains an option.

Earlier this year, Siemens discussed a

tie-up between their hearing aids business

and Danish company GN Resound, but

according to sources, the two groups

could not agree on terms. “Of course we

have discussed internally if a deal with

Siemens would be possible, otherwise we

would not have done

our job as a professional

company, but I can’t

comment further on

this,” said Anders Boyer,

Finance Offi cer at the

Danish business’s

parent company GN

Store Nord.

According to research

and brokerage fi rm Bernstein Research,

New York City, “Another possibility

could be a buyout by a company like

Samsung, which could be particularly

appealing since Siemens has really

oriented its business towards Asia in

the past fi ve-plus years”. C.S.

Source: Reuters

Costco: U.S. giant to arrive in France by 2015 RETAIL - Costco Wholesale Corporation, the third largest worldwide retailer

and fourth largest in the US, is to open in the Paris region in the autumn of

2015 at Villebon-sur-Yvette, in the department of Essonne. This fi rst store, which will

also host the retailer’s headquarters for Costco France, will cover a total of 12,000

m2 and employ 300 people. In the States, Costco specializes, among other things, in

the distribution of assistive hearing devices through a network of more than 400

centers. In an interview published in Bloomberg Businessweek (July 2013), a

specialist weekly economics magazine, the Vice-President of

the brand, Richard Chavez, declared (with a hint of irony): “the

sale of hearing aids generates a lot of revenue for us. We’re

now one of the largest—if not the largest—hearing-aid

distributors in the market, but I really don’t want anyone to

know that.” The company’s records show that on average, the sale of hearing aids

has increased by approximately 26% per year. The company owns a total of 627

stores across the U.S., and sells brands such as Bernafon, GN ReSound, Kirkland

(retailer’s own brand), Rexton, and as of this year, it also sells devices from the Swiss

Phonak. Within the next ten years, the U.S. giant and wholesale specialist hopes to be

able to open fi fteen outlets in France, six of which will be in the Paris region. This

imminent arrival is seen as a threat by local major retailers. Costco’s model is based

on a principle of limited product selection: it offers a limited range of items, with less

products than in traditional supermarkets. Therefore, it offers a very large range of

different types of products, but with restricted choice for each of them. Costco was

founded in 1983 in Seattle in the U.S. The shop is now present in nine countries

across several continents, including Asia and Europe. G.B.

Get to know Audiology Worldnews

100.000

on page 35

Around 100.000 hearing aids a year are delivered to different countries by the Starkey Hearing Foundation through more than 100 different missions.Starkey Hearing Foundation

© G

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EUHA Congress Special - October 2014 - - 5


Caffeine intake and reduced tinnitus risk in womenRESEARCH - A study including a large cohort of

female participants has shown that higher caffeine

intake is associated with a lower risk of tinnitus, although the

underlying mechanism remains unknown.

Caffeine has long been thought to play a role in

the development of tinnitus, but no pertinent

clinical data are available. Recently, a

prospective study showed that intake

of caffeine, in the form of coffee, tea,

sodas, candy and chocolate, was, on

the contrary, associated with a lower

risk of incident self-reported tinnitus.

On the basis of data from the Nurses’

Health Study II, a team of researchers

from Ontario, Canada and Massachusetts,

USA, compared caffeine intake levels and the

incidence of tinnitus. Study participants included

65,085 women in the survey, aged 30 to 44 years and

who did not have tinnitus at baseline in 1991. Participants

completed questionnaires about lifestyle and medical history

every two years and food questionnaires every four years.

Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios were calculated for

these data. Covariates included diabetes, hypertension,

multiple sclerosis, depression, and medication use. The

research found that when compared to participants who

consumed less than 150 mg of caffeine per

day (the amount in an eight-ounce cup of

coffee), women who had intakes of

450 to 599 mg daily were 15% less

likely to develop tinnitus (hazard

ratio 0.85). They even found that

those who consumed 600 mg or

more per day were 21% less likely

to develop the disorder (hazard

ratio 0.79).

“We can’t conclude that caffeine

is a cure for tinnitus,” says the lead

author, Dr Jordan T. Glicksman. “But our

results should provide some assurance to

people who do drink caffeine that it’s reasonable to

continue doing so.” C.S.

Source: Glicksman JT, et al. A prospective study of caffeine

intake and risk of incident tinnitus. The American Journal of

Medicine 2014 Aug;127(8):739-43; New York Times.

The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) nominates Tanya Tolpegin as new Executive Director

ACADEMY- Tolpegin holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden

School of Business and a bachelor of science degree in systems engineering

from the same university. She is also a certifi ed association executive (CAE) and has held

management positions in both for-profi t and not-for-profi t organizations. She worked for

six years as the Executive Director of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

The Academy Search Committee, appointed by the AAA Board of Directors in January

2014, reportedly worked for over six months to identify the best candidate for the

position. Tolpegin was selected from an initial group of approximately 150 applicants.

“In Ms Tolpegin, the board found a capable, optimistic, and

energetic leader with the necessary experience and proven

record of success in association management to lead Academy

operations,” said Dr Erin Miller, AuD, Academy President. “The

dedication and commitment of the Academy leadership and

members to the fi eld of audiology is impressive,” said Tolpegin.

“I look forward to helping the organization, our members, and

our industry partners achieve the vision for the fi eld.”

The AAA is the world’s largest professional organization of

audiologists and has active membership of more

than 12,000. C.S. © I

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50%It is calculated that 50% of children have suffered at least one episode of otitis media in the first year of life. Poor treatment of otitis media can lead to hearing loss WHO


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We look forward to your visit!Hall 6, Booth D18

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Dangers of everyday noise to hearingSURVEY - Professor Richard Dowell, director of

the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Cochlear

Implant Clinic, and Chair in Audiology and Speech Science

at the University of Melbourne, says that in his opinion,

“Exposure to everyday noises, not age, will be the leading

cause of hearing loss in the near future.” The new study

found that hearing

can be damaged

by exposure to

everyday noise.

According to the

report, levels of

sound as low as

85 dB can cause

hearing loss.

Sounds higher

than 70 dB are

considered loud.

Examples of everyday noise that could in fact be causing

damage to hearing cited in the article include vacuum

cleaners (70 dB), washing machines (75 dB), blenders

or food processors (90 dB), heavy city traffi c (85 dB),

or even hair dryers (85 dB). More well-known louder

noises include music concerts that produce 110 dB, and

ambulance sirens at 120 dB.

The survey found that only about 25% of people surveyed

were aware that hearing ability can be damaged by

exposure to everyday noise. 71% were of the opinion that

only loud noises could lead to deafness. They thought

listening to loud music on headphones or going to a

nightclub could damage one’s hearing abilities.

Professor Dowell also mentioned that refraining from

attending concerts or any place that exposes to loud noise,

or keeping this exposure to a minimum, is not a guarantee

that exposure is not affecting hearing. “No matter how

seldom you participate in an activity, there is still the very

real possibility that it is causing you permanent damage,”

he explained. C.S.

Universia - all audiology university courses in the same placeTRAINING - The Universia network, which specialises in offering tools to students all over the country by providing them

with access to course curriculums and all university advice centres and schools signed up to the scheme, has launched a a

microsite for those choosing audiology as their main training. The Universidad del Museo Social Argentino, which offers the

specialisation as an exclusive course, is part of this initiative. C.F.E

For more information: http://estudios.universia.net/argentina/carrera/ umsa-especializacion-audiologia.

Research to improve education for deaf students

PARTNERSHIP - The three partners in the

project are New Mexico State University’s

Communication Disorders Program, the Rochester

Institute of Technology, and the National Technical

Institute of the Deaf’s Center for Research Partnerships.

The project is funded by a USD 2.3 million grant from

the National Institute of Deafness and Other

Communication Disorders, part of the National Institutes

of Health (NIH).

The project will look at three groups of college

students: deaf students who have cochlear implants,

deaf students who do not have cochlear implants, and

students with normal hearing. The research team is

exploring how spoken language and sign language skills

relate to and infl uence

each other. The team is

also measuring verbal

and nonverbal cognitive

abilities and comparing

how students learn

from reading and from

lectures that are spoken

and/or signed.

Linda Spencer, director

of the Communication

Disorders Program in

NMSU’s College of Education explains, “We’re hoping

that by looking at the relationship between language

and thinking in individuals who are deaf, we will get

a better idea of how to teach them. We’re hoping

what we learn can be instituted in their curriculum to

achieve the highest level possible for these individuals.”

The research participants come from all walks of life.

According to Spencer, “We want to discover how their

background infl uences how they think. We want to get

a better idea of how thinking, memory and language

combine.” C.S.

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New wireless technology places the hearing impaired above the normal-hearingSTUDY - In an article published in the American

Journal of Audiology, Professor Linda Thibodeau

(University of Texas) describes her

fi ndings on new wireless

technology which places people

with hearing loss in better

conditions for hearing and

understanding than normal-hearing

persons. This becomes evident in

certain circumstances: with

background noise and at a

distance. This advantage for the

hearing-impaired over the normal-

hearing, with both factors

infl uencing hearing, climbs to 62%

and over, according to sources at

Phonak. The results of these measurements were obtained

through speech recognition comparison tests - in groups of

children and adults - and using different wireless technology,

such as fi xed and fi tted FM, or the new type of devices called

“Roger”. With a noise level of 65 dB

or higher, persons with hearing aids

using Roger obtained better speech

recognition than those who were not

fi tted. A team of more than 40

engineers and audiologists worked

together more than seven years on

the Roger invention at the Phonak

head offi ce in Switzerland. This

device is a new wireless digital

standard which helps hearing aid

users to understand 62% more (with

noise and distance) than the normal-

hearing through microphones

designed to capture and transmit the voice of your interlocutor

through miniature 2.4 GHz receivers. J.L.F.

The next events of the profession all over the world!

Conferences, conventions… Audiology Worldnews keeps you updated!

26th - 29th October

Pan-American Association of Otolaryngology

XXXIV Pan-American Congress of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (Cartagena, Colombia) www.panamorl2014.com

7th November The Ear Foundation

9th Annual Conference: Implantable Devices 2014 - The State of the Art (Nottingham, United Kingdom) www.earfoundation.org.uk

16th - 19th November

Australian Acoustical Society

INTER.NOISE 2014 (Melbourne, Australia)www.acoustics.asn.au

20th - 21st November

British Academy of Audiology

11th Annual Conference(Bornemouth, United Kingdom) www.baaudiology.org

11th - 13th December

American Cochlear Implant Alliance and Vanderbilt University Medical Center

CI 2014 Symposium on Cochlear Implants in Children(Nashville, USA) www.ci2014usa.com

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What to attend?

EUHA congress 2014

SCHEDULE

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rf WEDNESDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2014

9:00 am Opening of the trade exhibition of the hearing

instruments industry (open until 5:00 pm)

12:00 pm Opening reception

12:30 pm Opening ceremony and keynote address

Former Prime Minister of Bavaria,

Dr. Günther Beckstein

“What degree of hearing impairment is

acceptable in a politician?”

2:15 pm Prof. Dr. Tobias Moser, Göttingen

“Future auditory prostheses – optical cochlear

implant?”

Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ralf Siegert,

Recklinghausen

“Sophono semi-implantable transcutaneous

bone conduction hearing device with up-

side-down implantation and activation on the

operation day”

Prof. Dr. Anke Lesinski-Schiedat, Hannover

“Clinical results from the Codacs implantable

hearing system”

Dr. Ing. Mario Cebulla, Wurzburg

“20 years of experience with the Wurzburg

categorical loudness scaling”

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Meister, Cologne

“Cognitive functions and hearing aid provision

in the elderly”

Congress ProgrammeFollow us on Twitter

@AudioWorldnews


Dr. Birgitta Gabriel, Hamburg

“Priming for hearing aid acousticians: Using

relevant information to facilitate and accelerate

the customers decision making process”

(The lectures end at 4:40 pm)

7:30 pm FGH Partners Evening

THURSDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2014

9:30 am Erich Bayer, Munich

“Custom made hybrid moulds as hearing

protection systems (with optional

communication links) – design with a future?”

Dipl. Ing. Ulrich Voogdt, Lübeck

“The ear mould – a fi eld of confl ict between

faith, habits, ignorance and science. A critical

assessment”

Christop Schwob, Basel (Switzerland)

“Dispensing IIC devices: Only a niche product or

an opportunity for our clients and our profession?”

Dr. Steffen Kreikemeier, Aalen

“Are you still trying or are you actually making

phone calls? Measuring and optimising modern

wireless and inductive systems for hearing aids

for use with telephones”

Dr. Matthias Latzel, Stäfa (Switzerland)

“Benefi t of different telephone solutions for

young and adult hearing aid users“

(The lectures end at 12:00 pm)

2:00 pm Presentations given by the 2014 EUHA

Sponsorship Awardees

9:30 am Workshops/Tutorials

W 1: “Cochlear implants in general and in

particular”

W 2: “Auditory training under close scrutiny”

W 3: “Subjective paediatric hearing

assessment – from screening to fi tting”

W 4: “Outline of measurement techniques to

evaluate hearing aid functions”

(The workshops/Tutorials end at 1:00 pm)

9:00 am The trade exhibition of the hearing

instruments industry is open until 5:00 pm

8:00 pm Congress Get-together

FRIDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2014

9:30 am Dr. Juliette Sterkens AuD, Wisconsin (USA)

“Today’s relevance of the telecoil“

Mag.a art. Esther Rois-Merz, Vienna (Austria)

“An introduction to hearing aid customization

for music”

Dr. Dipl. Phys. Volker Kühnel, Stäfa (Switzerland)

“Music to the ears”

Charlotte T. Jespersen M.A., Ballerup (Denmark)

“Can hearing aid sound quality be evaluated?”

Lisa Wilholt M.Sc., Dresden

“Psychoacoustic model to predict individual

perception of loudness and sharpness in

hearing impaired people”

Jason A. Galster Ph. D., Eden Prairie,

Minnesota (USA)

“New insights into the benefi ts of digital noise

reduction and remote microphones“

Gabriel König B. Sc., Stäfa (Switzerland)

“A new adaptive approach to the use of binaural

signal processing for directional microphone

systems“

Dr. Thomas Lotter, Erlangen

“Integrating hearing systems into modern

everyday life – energy effi ciency in binaural

radio communication”

Dipl. Ing. Marc Aubreville and Homayoun

Kamkar-Parsi Ph.D., Erlangen

“True binaural signal processing in hearing

aids” (The lectures end at 4:00 pm)

9:30 am Workshops/Tutorials

W 5: “Fundamentals of percentile analysis and

percentile fi tting”

W 6: “Measurement equipment showcase:

Outline of measuring technology from different

manufacturers of measuring and fi tting systems

for hearing aids – information and discussion”

9:00 am The trade exhibition of the hearing

instruments industry is open until 5:00 pm

A crèche will be provided free of charge during the opening

times of the trade exhibition

www.audiology-worldnews.com/events

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Interview

EUHA congress 2014

MARTIN BLECKER, EUHA

“With vocational, industrial andpolitical discussions and workshops we can learn from each other”

What is the main task of the

EUHA? Who are its members and

how is it fi nanced?

We see ourselves as the link between

science, manufacturers, hearing

aid acousticians and the people

who are involved in the qualifi ed

provision of hearing systems to

the hearing impaired. We network

hearing aid acousticians, scientists

and laypeople. And we organise

advanced vocational training and

further qualifi cation on all levels to

provide the best possible service for

the benefi t of affected people.

Our members primarily come from

medium-sized acoustic enterprises,

which are often run by owners with

many of them having a family history. Some of these company

members are already the third generation. Our fi nancial

resources are membership subscriptions and admission fees for

the exhibition and various seminars and workshops.

The German Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians has

always considered itself international. How do you

justify this ambitious claim?

Providing hearing systems to people with a hearing

impairment can no longer be organised on a national

basis. Our predecessors understood that many years ago

and therefore created a platform that is a combination of

advanced vocational training and industrial exhibition, the

EUHA Congress. The number of visitors speaks for itself,

not least in terms of all the different countries they come

from. Last year, we welcomed

exhibitors and other guests from

80 countries, with some 30% to

40% of participants coming from

non-German-speaking countries.

At our Congress, speakers present

their studies and fi ndings that are

important on national as well as

international levels. Most of all,

this Congress takes up issues

which allow audiologists and/or

acousticians to look beyond the

horizons of routine practice and

think outside the box.

What is the benefi t for Congress

visitors from abroad?

Due to the exchange of ideas and

know-how, they can learn many new things, in general as well

as in detail. The topics of the 2013 roundtable talk were very

tangible issues, e.g. fi tting of ear moulds or the position and

size of external receivers. With vocational, industrial and political

discussions and workshops we can also learn from one another.

Does the EUHA cooperate with other foreign

organisations in our fi eld?

Kurt Iffl and, one of our founders, has laid the foundations

for the cooperation with vocational organisations in

other countries. Beside the VHÖ (Austria) and Akustika

(Switzerland), we have established good contacts with

the Union Nationale des Syndicats d’Audioprothésistes

Français (UNSAF), and we regularly attend the conventions

of the American Academy of Audiology (AudiologyNOW!).


A member of our board, Ahsen Enderle-Ammour, was

elected President of the European Committee for Audiology

& Technology (E.C.A.T.) in October 2013. Additionally, he

maintains good working relationships with the A.E.A. and

the Bureau International d’Audiophonologie (BIAP), while

supporting and steering work on a European level.

Conference languages at EUHA are German and

English. What do you do if a presenter doesn’t speak

German or English?

Professional interpreters will provide simultaneous

interpreting for all the lectures and panel discussions into

German or English.

Are you satisfied with attendance numbers, from your

country and from abroad?

We are never satisfied, but we are pleased to hear that a

third of all visitors are from abroad. The demand is high and

we always endeavour to adjust our offer to it. For example,

with six different workshops we adapt to participants’ needs

for more practical issues. And, of course, we are pleased to

report on rising numbers of attendees.

There is a tendency towards cost-cutting on the convention

of the American Academy of Audiology. Are you anticipating

a similar development for the EUHA Congress?

It is very clear that we have to look at the costs. On the

other hand, our efforts are aimed at presenting a Congress

programme on the best possible level, including advanced

vocational training, exhibition, and many opportunities for

meetings and personal discussions. Last but not least,

there should also be room for entertainment. After all, the

participants are regular people so we can reach them not

only by the senses but also by emotions.

The Congress as a whole, including the industry

exhibition, is certainly very expensive. How is all this

financed?

A large part of the funding comes from the co-organiser

of the Congress, the German Association of the Hearing

Instruments Industry (BVHI), and the other portion comes

from admission fees.

Many visitors and exhibitors suggest additional venues

like Berlin, Hamburg, or Munich. Wouldn’t that increase

the attraction of the Congress?

The choice of the location is not as arbitrary as it may seem

at first sight. There are only three or four eligible venues in

Germany due to the special requirements of the EUHA and

the BVHI. Hannover and Nürnberg offer good conditions

for lectures, exhibition, service and infrastructure, and last

but not least a reasonable relation of prices and services.

Nevertheless, we will carry out a poll this year among all

participants of the Congress and all those who couldn’t

attend. We will then analyse the results.

As every year, the EUHA has organised an interesting

supporting programme. Despite the German language,

are foreigners welcome?

We all like to get together and relax after work. The evening

for FGH partners and the Congress Get-together are ideal

opportunities to meet other professionals. This year, they

may all experience what a typical Bavarian rural outing is

like. It is our experience that our guests from abroad like to

discover our folk traditions.

What are the main Congress topics this year?

The subjects are: hearing aid development, rehabilitation

of hearing losses, and dementia and hearing aid provision.

Particularly, I am looking forward to hearing our keynote

speaker, the former Prime Minister of Bavaria, Günther

Beckstein. His speech is about the interesting question:

What degree of hearing impairment is acceptable in a

politician?

Will there be anything special this year?

There will be a Congress app for all smartphone users and

we will once again offer a kindergarten for all parents who

want to attend the Congress. Rainer Hüls

We created a platform that is a

combination of advanced vocational

training and industrial exhibition.”


Interview

EUHA congress 2014

JAKOB STEPHAN BASCHAB, biha

“Every acoustician isan audiologist, no matter if he has studied or not”

Visitors from abroad don’t know exactly what a Federal

Guild is about. Could you briefl y explain?

Hearing aid acousticians are qualifi ed professionals. They can

come together and form a guild like other professionals do

for their specifi c trade. If they become organised nationwide,

this is called a Federal Guild in Germany. This process and

membership are voluntary. Our Federal Guild of Hearing Aid

Acoustics (biha) is maintained by 95% of all establishments

and branches in our trade. As a corporation under public law,

it exercises indirect government authority with a status under

public law. First of all, it supports the interests of its members

and helps maintain the trade. Furthermore, it regulates and

supervises apprenticeship and examinations. To foster the

skills of the profession, it has to establish training centres,

which has already been achieved with the Academy of

Hearing Aid Acoustics in Lübeck. Moreover, the Federal Guild

negotiates with public healthcare on behalf of all its members

and fi nally signs contracts, which is also its legal task.

How do you distinguish the biha from the EUHA?

Members of the biha can only be companies and their

branches that are registered offi cially with the German

Chambers of skilled professions. At the EUHA, employees

can also be members. Therefore we dissociate our tasks in

many fi elds. The biha is the political and legal representative

of the profession; the EUHA represents the profession for its

specialised scientifi c aspects.

Is the biha affi liated with other organisations in Europe

and the rest of the world?

The biha is a founding member of the European Association

of Hearing Aid Acousticians and is currently planning on

developing an additional European umbrella organisation. It not

only fosters professional relations within Europe, but also runs a

network on the political level, supported by an offi ce in Brussels.

The biha – together with the “Campus Hearing Acoustics” in

Lübeck – maintains excellent relationships worldwide. With

China and 25 countries in the Middle East, we are jointly

educating hearing aid acousticians. With others we have signed

cooperation agreements. We are proud that we can teach our

partners and pass our know-how on to them. Each summer,

we welcome hearing aid acousticians from about 40 countries

for a full month. They can register for various modular training

sessions, for instance hearing aid fi tting.

What was the motive for these partnerships?

The education system in Germany is certainly one of the

best in the world. Our partners know that and want to

participate in this high standard. Our partnerships therefore

consist of know-how transfer, exchange of experience –

and sometimes even practical development aid. Within the

bounds of trustful, considerate and friendly cooperation,

biha


our good reputation is spreading quickly. Moreover, we

can only maintain our high level of quality if we constantly

challenge ourselves and learn new skills. Just recently, we

had a conference in Jordan with many Arab and German

participants. We provided our partners with sessions on

fitting, making ear moulds/otoplastics and paediatric

acoustics, and in turn, our delegates were very interested to

learn from Arab teachers what their tasks are when it comes

to fitting cochlear implants. We benefit from our partners’

knowledge and they also learn from us.

The profession of hearing aid acoustician is not

recognised everywhere in this world. Why did Germany

decide in favour of this kind of professional education?

In Germany, there are three different paths to official

education: university, industry, and the skilled professions.

Our profession was formed primarily after the Second

World War. At that time, opticians were the most important

dispensers of hearing aids and they were already anchored

in professions tending to risks. Opticians and hearing aid

acoustics have always been strongly regulated professions

which can only be practised under certain conditions, and in

our country the Chambers of skilled professions take care of

this. As far as our three-year apprenticeship is concerned,

we can say that it has proved itself. Youth unemployment in

Germany is one of the lowest in Europe and we have one of

the strongest economies in Europe. Most of all, hearing aid

fittings are excellent, and Germany is – after the USA – the

second largest hearing aid market in the world. All this is not

without good reason. It’s quality that makes all the difference.

Some professionals abroad think of German hearing

aid acousticians when compared to audiologists or ENT

physicians who have studied at university, as not being

on the same level. Do you agree?

No, it’s just the opposite. We are envied around the world for

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Interview

EUHA congress 2014

JAKOB STEPHAN BASCHAB, biha

our “dual education”, which is a combination of courses

at vocational schools and practical training in a company.

Theory and practice are equally balanced in our system.

People who have graduated from university lack practice.

We should be aware that every acoustician is also an

audiologist, whether he or she has studied or not. The quality

of the professional Master in our profession is comparable to

a Bachelor’s degree or even better. As to ENT doctors, they

may not fit hearing aids because they have not learned this

skill. And, of course, acousticians are not qualified to operate

on patients, since they have not studied surgery.

What are the responsibilities of the ENT physician and

the audiologist then?

In the context of hearing aid provision, reimbursed by public health

insurance, the ENT doctor is responsible for initial diagnosis and

for prescribing a hearing aid. Only a minority of health insurance

schemes require a final check by the ENT. If a hearing aid is fitted

without reimbursement, also in cases of a replacement after six

years, the ENT is not formally involved. Except for paediatrics,

new tinnitus diagnosis and patients with a severe hearing loss

above 85dB HL. Nevertheless we recommend regular visits to the

doctor’s practice for preventive care. The audiologist, educated

at university, is a scientist but not a practitioner or dispenser

and is therefore not entitled to be active in regulated healthcare

professions such as hearing aid acoustics.

The biha is the responsible body for the Academy of

Hearing Aid Acoustics. What is the Academy’s role?

The Academy of Hearing Aid Acoustics and the neighbouring

Federal Vocational School for Hearing Aid Acousticians share

seven buildings with 20,000 square meters of floor space in

order to teach and accommodate students in the boarding

houses. For the theoretical and practical lessons at the

Academy and the vocational school, both use one lecture hall,

48 general classrooms, as well as 63 special classrooms and

laboratories. There are 40 sound-proof rooms on the floor

below, with the latest equipment. The boarding houses offer

545 beds, mostly in double-rooms with facilities, and the

canteen serves 1100 meals a day. All classrooms are equipped

with the most modern media devices, such as projectors, audio

systems, internet access, and digital white boards. The 40

audiometry/fitting rooms are equipped with digital audiometers

and measuring boxes for hearing aids. Three depositories with

1100 hearing aids are constantly used for fitting practise. One

audiometry room is especially designed for fitting children.

Repairs and making ear moulds are practised in the workshops

and laboratories. Each member of a training group has the

necessary tools like milling cutters, pressure pots, syringes,

soldering stations, microscopes, tool boxes, oscilloscopes,

and power supply at their disposal. 100 employees work on

the campus, namely 23 full-time lecturers, 2 scientists and

44 people in administrative services, the canteen, boarding

houses and technical services. There are many additional

teachers in the vocational school.

The “Fixed amount” is a major issue in Germany. Can

you briefly explain: How much is the Fixed amount? How

many customers choose this option? If a more expensive

hearing aid is requested, who pays the difference?

A fixed amount in the German healthcare system refers to

the upper limit, up to which the statutory health insurance

companies pay for certain medicines and medical devices.

This is regulated by law for the sector of hearing system

provision in § 36 SGB V. Consequently, it limits the claims of

the beneficiaries. If a customer wants more technical features

and extra comfort, he or she has to pay the additional amount.

The same applies for the respective repair and ear mould

costs. The flat rate for behind-the-ear hearing aids, meeting

the requested standards, is € 784.94. For the second hearing

aid (binaural fitting), a discount of 20% is applied. For this type

of hearing aid, the public health insurance schemes take on

all costs for repairs and ear moulds. We are not aware of the

exact percentage of hearing aids fitted with the fixed amount;

only the public health insurance schemes have that data. We

estimate a range of 50 to 60%. Rainer Hüls

Each summer we welcome

hearing aid acousticians

from about 40 countries.”

Interested in sales figures? Go to page 30.


Interview

EUHA congress 2014

GERMAN ASSOCIATION HEARING INSTRUMENTS IND. (BVHI)

“The demographic change is

a worldwide phenomenon”

What is the German Association of the Hearing

Instruments Industry (BVHI)? What are its tasks?

The BVHI represents thirteen hearing instruments

manufacturers that are active in the German market.

It supports the interests of its members and is the

communications body for

all issues around hearing

technology, hearing impairments,

and innovations in the fi eld of

audiology. In this context, the

association aims to improve the

use of hearing systems by people

who do not hear well, to inform

the public about the performance

of modern hearing systems, and

to reduce the inhibition threshold

against hearing aid use. Moreover,

the association works towards

effective cooperation with other

professional groups in this fi eld

like hearing aid acousticians,

ENT physicians, health insurance

companies, other vocational

associations, interest groups, and

politicians. The range of tasks also includes the support of

education for young acousticians.

Is the BVHI internationally affi liated?

Yes, via the international headquarters of the hearing

instruments manufacturers, the BVHI is linked to the

European Hearing Instruments Manufacturers Association

(EHIMA). The BVHI is only active in Germany, but there is

lively communication with international colleagues.

What quantitative developments do you expect in the

German market?

Due to demographic changes, the hearing aid market in

Germany is still growing in terms of numbers. One of the

reasons is the rising acceptance of hearing aids.

What quantitative developments do

you expect worldwide?

For the rest of the world, the BVHI

can only provide an estimate.

Demographic changes are a

worldwide phenomenon, and as such

growth rates will certainly be as high

as in Germany.

What qualitative changes do you

expect? Is more technological

progress likely in our industry, in

Germany and worldwide?

Yes, there is even a high potential.

The outcomes of intensive research

in audiology and the progress we

are making in signal processing are

important tools to improve hearing

solutions continuously. Hearing systems are instruments

of communication which interact with other technologies

by networks. This market segment will grow and make the

hearing aid market more complex.

Are the existing distribution structures prepared for this?

Technological progress is the most important part of

communication. This means that manufacturers and hearing

aid acousticians must be ready for it.

Créd

it ?

Bernd von Polheim (GN Resound), Chairman of BVHI.


Cochlear implants are gaining presence in

the market and two hearing instruments

manufacturers already have them in their

portfolio. What could this mean for our line of

business?

We are expecting synergies which will affect our

market. The EUHA Congress and the industry

exhibition can serve as a platform to introduce

new technologies.

The same question applies to increased connectivity

between hearing systems and other wireless consumer

products. Do you expect to see more joint ventures in

the future?

Hearing systems are communication systems that are

supported by other technologies. This implies partnerships

with companies in this line of business.

Are you concerned about news concerning animal

experiments that aim to restore human hearing by

means of gene therapy?

We support scientifi c progress that leads to the rehabilitation

of physical disabilities, most of all with a view to the

innovations developed by our members. But we generally

distance ourselves from animal experiments.

The exhibition at this congress is impressive but only

accessible to experts and the press. Why not for end-users?

The EUHA Congress is a scientifi c convention aimed

primarily at hearing aid dispensers. They pass all information

onto their customers in the sales process. The necessary

consultations are too complex to provide this at an industry

exhibition. The IFA in Berlin is the best place to discuss this

with end-users; the BVHI is present there every year.

The competition authorities are monitoring the hearing

aid industry. They think that manufacturers may be

forming an oligopoly. Is that justifi ed?

We see intensive and healthy competition in our market that

is generating innovations all the time. Our market is open

with opportunities for many companies.

Is further horizontal and vertical consolidation at the

manufacturer level still possible or is the maximum in sight?

Because of reasons related to productivity and innovation,

consolidations are still possible. Rainer HülsPhotos: BVHI

Johannes Fischer (Hansaton),

Vice Chairman of BVHI.

Torben Lindø (Oticon),

Vice Chairman of BVHI.

www.siare.fr [email protected]

Delta A8 Alpha 14 Alpha 22

The Siare Acoustique audio company is specialised in the design and manufacturing of products for audiology tests.

See the main representatives of the sector in our EUHA videos. Watch them on

www.audiology-worldnews.com/videos


What’s new?

AUDIFON

WIDEX

EGGER

EUHA congress 2014


DREAM CIC MICRO – one of the smallest CIC’s on the market

Widex is pleased to introduce the ultra-small DREAM CIC MICRO, perfect for those

of your clients who appreciate a very discreet hearing solution.

• Based on the DREAM platform, the CIC

MICRO provides users with sound like no other

hearing aid. It is built on the TRUE ISP platform, proven to

provide better sound quality in situations with loud noise. This

means that even in very difficult listening situations, such as

being at a restaurant or at a sporting event, users have state–

of-the-art sound quality - despite wearing very small and

discreet hearing aids.

• The CIC MICRO also includes a new Personal Acclimatization

feature making it easier for new hearing aid users in particular

to adapt to wearing a hearing aid.

Easy for your clients, easy for you

• The addition of the new CIC MICRO

means the DREAM CIC’s are now

available in 4 different variants: a

wireless CIC, and a non-wireless CIC –

both with fitting ranges of up to 80 and

90 dB respectively.

• This fl exibility means you can fi nd the right

solution for a wider range of your clients with fewer re-fi ts.

To experience the new DREAM CIC MICRO, be sure to visit us

at the EUHA Congress at stand A15.

New products and innovations on egger’s booth

egger is ready to go! At

the center of discussion

will be the new products and

innovations from the

areas of

• earmolds

• ePRO hearing

protection

• cedis + my.name

• laboratory technique

• sales promotion

A visual highlight among others will

be the completely new designed cedis

hygiene and care products in the

display boxes. The fresh look has made

its way through sales-promoting final

customer-brochures and 3D-animation

films. In its nifty quadratic format the

fresh-off-the-press product catalog 2015

displays the single-source supplier’s

entire portfolio. The informative data

sheets of the consequently amplied

ePRO hearing-protection family will also

be present in the new uniform format.

Of course mouthwatering snacks at the

booth will not be missed. The egger team

looks forward to seeing you there!

BOOT

H B18

BOOTH A15

Several highlights to be presented on booth B18

• New RITE-housing:

audifon’s new RITE-housing is the perfect mix between

an elegant design and a well-balanced feature

set. Two different receiver units with an

amplifi cation of up to 55dB make it suitable

for a broad fi tting range and are moreover

easy to exchange in no time at all. audifon’s

new RITE will inspire customers who value

an elegant housing in combination with

modern features such as wireless.

The R-housing will initially be available in

the libra, miro and faro family.

• New power BTE – WHO-4-suitable:

audifon adds to the tight variety of small-sized WHO-4-

suitable hearing aids. Thanks to a 13 battery customers do not have

to choose between a high amplifi cation (of up to 78dB/141dB) and

a discreet design – the new power BTE

assembles it all in one product. Attractive

comfort features, intuitive usability and

excellent sound quality top this smart design off.

The P-housing is available in the libra, miro and

vico family.

• Award-winning fi tting software audifi t5:

Hearing care specialists appreciate its intuitive handling and the

precise First Fit for an enhanced spontaneous acceptance. The

jury of the internationally well-known Red Dot Design Award values

the clear and modern design of the software and honors it with an

award in the category communication design. With audifi t 5 audifon

offers a fi tting software, which was tested by numerous hearing

care professionals. These specialists used the software in their daily

customer fi tting sessions where their valuable feedback was further

implemented in the re-design, resulting in a superior software.

B

BOOTH C17

UNITRON

POWER ONE DREVE


power one is presenting its mercury-free Zinc

Air hearing aid batteries which offer even better

performance than standard batteries. power one

is the fi rst brand to meet the latest “wireless”

test standards which were developed for hearing

aids with streaming function. In the world´s

largest and most modern factory for hearing

aid batteries power one pays special

attention to sustainability.

www.powerone-batteries.com

BOOT

H C12

Unitron delivers natural sound for all

Shine™ Rev puts best-in-class features within everyone’s reach

Unitron introduces Shine™ Rev, the

newest family of entry level hearing

instruments that delivers one of the most

natural sound in its class. Powered by

Era™, Shine Rev’s best-in-class features

work together to increase listening

comfort and speech clarity. Shine Rev

also offers a new fast fi tting option using

Unitron TrueFit™ software, plus more

choice with a wide array of discreet and powerful styles.

Signature features work together

Shine Rev signature features work in harmony to provide natural

sound, and greater performance, comfort and clarity in everyday

situations:

• AutoMic™ - works continuously in quiet environments in omni

directional mode for comfort and sound awareness, switching

to adaptive or fi xed directional mode when noise is detected, for

greater comfort that still maintains audibility

• Noise reduction – works hand-in-hand with AutoMic to further

suppress distracting sounds

• Speech enhancement - complements AutoMic and noise

reduction to enhance speech clarity and comfort

• AntiShock™ - Unitron’s award-winning

feature instantly softens sudden harsh

sounds, like clattering dishes, while

preserving speech clarity

A great fi tting experience

Shine Rev ensures a positive fi rst

fi t experience, thanks to both the

Automatic Adaptation Manager and new

enhancements to Unitron TrueFit fi tting software. Automatic

Adaptation Manager overcomes new patient resistance to

amplifi cation by gently transitioning them to the amplifi cation that

will provide long-term optimal speech understanding.

A new fast fi tting option in Unitron TrueFit guides fi tters through

six quick steps on one screen, for a happy patient experience and

successful fi rst fi t.

Sensitive to unique regional speech characteristics

Shine Rev is ideal for the global market not only for its affordability,

but its regionally sensitive fi tting defaults.

The Shine Rev line-up includes a full range of BTE and custom styles,

including options for severe hearing losses. Shine Rev will be available

in September 2014 in India, with other countries soon to follow.

BOOTH D09

Discover Polylux LED

Dreve Otoplastik is a leading manufacturer of customized earmolds

for hearing aid systems as well as individual hearing protection

devices. Furthermore the company is taking care of the development and

production of innovative silicones or resins. Hearing aid systems’ and lab hygiene

care products complete their portfolio. In Unna, Germany, the certifi ed earmold

laboratory manufactures earmolds at the latest technologies and standards.

Also in this year, product highlights and innovative solutions just according to

Dreve‘s guiding principle “Innovation aus Tradition” will be presented at the EUHA-

congress in Hannover. One highlight is the Polylux LED, the

new generation of the polylux series which is available

now! The Polylux LED is ideal for the polymerization

of Fotoplast® resins and Dreve lacquers and has

an integrated LED technology as sustainable light

source. Its easy handling and smart design makes

it unique. To discover more about the Polylux LED,

Dreve welcomes you in a pleasant and comfortable

atmosphere at booth D18, hall 6. The Dreve sales and

product management team is looking forward to meeting

you and is pleased to answer your questions. See you on our booth!

BOOTH D18

What’s new?

RAYOVAC INTERACOUSTICS

EUHA congress 2014

Bernafon Introduces Juna – For a First Class Hearing Experience

Bern (August 20, 2014) – On October 23, 2014,

Bernafon will launch a new premium hearing

aid family called Juna. For a fi rst class

hearing experience, Juna delivers

what matters most: exceptional

speech understanding, impressive listening

comfort, and true individualization.

Bernafon is proud to introduce Juna 9 and Juna 7

- two full product lines in the high-end categories.

They feature Bernafon’s proprietary Audio Effi ciencyTM

technology. With Juna, Bernafon technology has been

taken to the next level with some impressive new features.

Reverb Reduction is a new feature that detects and reduces

reverberant sound in large rooms and places of worship.

Speech Cue PriorityTM provides the option to preserve the

speech envelope information, which is important for speech

intelligibility for severe to profoundly hearing–impaired

people.

i-VC (intelligent volume control) is a new

frequency-shaped volume control that takes into

account that some frequency regions are more

important than others for speech intelligibility.

Comfort in Airplane is a new listening

program specifi cally designed to cope with in-

cabin airplane noise.

In addition to these new features, Juna 9 |7 offers

you and your clients two new CIC models with wireless

capabilities, more powerful ITE and ITC instruments, and a

complete new range of colors for BTE models.

BERNAFON

BOOT

H D20


Rayovac set to unveil exciting new products at this year’s EUHA congress

2014 has seen another year of fast-paced technological advancements in the

hearing industry and at this year’s International EUHA Congress, leading hearing

aid battery manufacturer Rayovac, is set to unveil its

own pioneering new product updates for the future.

• Delegates visiting Rayovac’s stand E05 at EUHA in

Hanover, Germany, will have the opportunity to see

fi rst-hand, the latest innovations from the company,

including, new powerful implant batteries, superior new

packaging and innovative new marketing programmes.

• Rayovac’s team will also be on hand to showcase

advancements in both its mercury-free and wireless

expertise – representative of this exciting new era in

hearing technology.

• Director of Marketing, Paula Brinson-Pyke, said:

“We’re looking forward to welcoming hearing

professionals from around the world to our stand at

this years’ EUHA exhibition.

• “With so many new advancements on the horizon, 2014 is set to be amongst

our best yet. At Rayovac, We are dedicated to meeting customer

demands within this modern, technology-focused age, and our

stand offers a glimpse into our wide range of exciting new

developments.”

Rayovac will be showcasing its new product ranges at stand

E05 between 15 and 17 October, at this year’s EUHA Congress in

Hanover, Germany.

For more information about Rayovac, visit www.rayovac.eu, like Rayovac on

Facebook at www.facebook.com/HearingwithRayovac or follow us on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/HearwithRayovac.

Interacoustics has introduced an update

to the Affi nity2.0 integrated fi tting

solution supporting the clinician’s daily

use in the clinic.

Interacoustics is pleased to announce the

release of the new Affi nity software,

version 2.4.0.

This new version includes multiple great

features such as:

• Full 2 channel speech in noise - present

noise and stimulus in the same channel

simultaneously

• Edit in the report editor in historical sessions

– this enables the tester to retrospectively

document their appointments

• PC Keyboard Shortcut Manager - Customizable

short cut keys for improved ease of use

• FM transparency verifi cation - Ability to verify

FM system output

• An included language pack in the software -

No need for a second software installation

• Compatibility with REMfi t in Bernafons

Oasis - easier and faster fi tting

• Updated Skull Simulator

Protocol - New setup guide

with updated pictures added to

the skull guide

BOOTH E07

BOOT

H E05

Europäische Union derHörgeräteakustiker e.V.

Kongressneuheiten · Congress innovations

Kongress-BefragungSagen Sie uns die Meinung!Hier gehts zur Online-Befragung für Kongress-Teilnehmer und -Nichtteilnehmer:

Congress surveyShare your mind!Online survey for Congress participants and non-participants:

Die Umfrage finden Sie auch auf www.euha.orgThe survey is also available at www.euha.org

Save the date:

Auf Wiedersehen beim 60. Internationalen Hörgeräteakustiker-Kongress14. bis 16. Oktober 2015 in Nürnberg

See you at the 60th International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians14 to 16 October 2015 in Nürnberg

Die EUHA App (für iOS und Android)

Für Smartphone- und Tablet-Nutzer ist die neue EUHA App mit allen relevanten Kongress-Informa tionen kostenlos in den jeweiligen Stores erhältlich.

EUHA App (for iOS and Android)

The new EUHA App including all the relevant information on the Congress is now available free for download from the respective stores for smartphone and tablet users.

59. Internationaler Hörgeräteakustiker-Kongress59th International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians15.–17.10.2014 in Hannover

Marketing

EUHA congress 2014

PSYCHOLOGY

What to do when the patient

says “It’s too expensive ”

During a recession, people start to reconsider

their medical care. Take France for example,

where 27% of respondents to the 2012 Europ

Assistance-CSA health survey indicated that

fi nancial diffi culties have made them reconsider certain aspects

of healthcare. This was especially the case for less overt

diseases that are not life-threatening, such as hearing problems.

Perceived lower reimbursement rates don’t help either.

Luckily, there are still many people willing to call on hearing

aid specialists. But some of them will end up saying “It’s too

expensive,” once they hear what their hearing solution will cost.

WHAT NOT TO ANSWERHow should you react in this type of situation? Generally, the

professional hesitates between aggressiveness, resignation

and unhappiness. “I’m not a used car dealer” could be the

aggressive response to a client who legitimately tries to

get the same for less. However, this type of approach is

unlikely to convince the client to jump at the offer. At best,

the client will probably want to “think about it”. Another

answer: “You fi nd it expensive compared to what?” This

reply is often used, but it is manipulative and tends to

annoy. So how about: “That’s because of your insurance

EVERY AUDIOLOGY PROFESSIONAL DREADS A

CONSULTATION THAT ENDS WITH THE CUSTOMER

SAYING “IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE”. WHAT CAN YOU

REPLY TO THIS? THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

IS REAL, AND MAKES PATIENTS THINK ABOUT

THEIR EXPENSES. CONSUMERS CANNOT OR ARE

NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR THEIR HEALTH LIKE

BEFORE. BUT IS THIS REALLY THE CORE OF THE

PROBLEM? IN MOST CASES, PROBABLY NOT. IT IS

MORE OFTEN THE SIGN OF A LOSS OF TRUST. HOW

CAN YOU REACT TO A CUSTOMER WHO SAYS THAT

THE PRICE IS JUST TOO HIGH? HOW CAN YOU

BETTER SHOWCASE THE TRUE VALUE YOU BRING?

PREVENTION IS OF COURSE BETTER THAN CURE.© k

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Foto

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company”? This answer just shifts the problem: the client

should find another insurer… or maybe another hearing

aid specialist. Or even: “Yes, but my offices, equipment

and staff are very expensive too.” The patient will think:

“How is that my problem?” All these possible answers

hardly encourage the client to grab his wallet. Let’s try:

“The government and health insurance companies are to

blame for low reimbursement rates.” This will not solve your

problem either. It makes the patient defeatist and puts the

responsibility somewhere else. If the government thinks it’s

not necessary, maybe it’s not that urgent, or they think that

hearing aids don’t work anyway, the patient might think.

Another angle altogether: “I can offer you a reduction.”

This proposition gives the impression that the professional

is doing the patient a favour by lowering the price. But the

patient might see this differently: “Without complaint, I

would have paid the full amount.” Collateral damage: word

gets around that people can negotiate in your centre!

TOO LATEThere are various ways to respond to “It’s too expensive” in

standard commercial relations. Unfortunately, when you’re

a hearing aid specialist, they don’t work. Once you’ve heard

“It’s too expensive”, it’s already too late in a patient-healthcare

professional relationship, which is based on trust. “It’s too

expensive” means there is not enough trust. The best option

would be to make sure your customers don’t get to the cost

hurdle. This means letting them know the price in such a way

that it becomes difficult to object. The best way to feel relaxed

when talking about the price is to explain what is included. Take

the time to explain the various price components in detail, and

reassure the client with supporting documentation.

ASSOCIATE PRICE WITH BENEFITIn the consumer’s mind, a price is always associated with a

benefit. When you buy aspirin, you don’t think of the ingredients,

but of getting rid of your headache. So, likewise, don’t only go

into the technical features of a hearing aid. Your client probably

isn’t that interested in the technical finesse of the latest phase

opposite noise reduction technology. Focus on the hearing

benefits your client can attain with the price you offer.

ENDING WITH THE PRICEIt’s common knowledge that the listening capacity

decreases once the price is put out there. It is therefore a

golden rule not to mention the price before the clients have

been able to learn all about the benefits of having their

hearing corrected. In this way, they can judge the value and

imagine what it might mean for their daily lives.

KEEP SILENTMaybe you try to reduce the stress of talking about the price by

talking a lot. But that’s not a good idea: the price may get lost in

a counter-productive ramble. The patient feels your uneasiness

about the price and may wonder why, if the cost is fair. Try the

opposite after giving the price: silence. Count to seven in your

mind before continuing your story. You will probably notice that

the patient starts giving information about their state of mind in

the purchasing process. After this, you can talk about payment

and reimbursement by the health insurance company. You will

be surprised how many clients respond positively – more than

you may have thought in any case.

The right tone, simplicity and honesty

will have a more positive effect than a

slick sales pitch.”

Cam

ille

Tiss

eran

d


CONFIRM IN WRITINGTo prevent discussion, conflict and negotiation, always include

the price in a written offer. But don’t do this before giving the

patient the cost in person. You would be giving up a great

opportunity of getting a direct reaction and being able to

answer questions on the spot before the client disconnects,

something customers often do when they haven’t understood

all the benefits their hearing aids could bring.

A MATTER OF TRUSTYour body language counts as least as much as what you say (there

is scientific evidence that non-verbal messages are even far more

important). Your voice can reveal hesitation about mentioning a

price. When your body is tense, that is a sign of stress. Talking faster

causes uneasiness in your customer. When you mention the price

calmly and firmly, it sounds quite natural. This lowers the chance

of getting an “It’s too expensive” as a response. When this answer

comes along anyway, remember that this doesn’t mean “I cannot

pay that amount” but rather “I don’t want to”! There is a difference

between financial problems and pretexts. For psychological reasons,

people rarely say exactly what they think. So don’t expect people to

blurt out “I don’t want to be treated by you because I don’t trust you”

or “I can’t take your offer because I didn’t understand it at all”. To say

“It’s too expensive” is a pretext that makes life easier.

There are basically two types of real problems hidden behind

a “pretext objection”: those concerning the professional as a

person, and those concerning the treatment. Three objections

stand out: “I didn’t understand”, “I don’t trust what I’m told”,

and “I have no faith in this centre’s professionalism.”

“I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND”“I didn’t understand, my hearing aid specialist wasn’t able

to explain clearly and coherently.” A typical response by

a client who doesn’t understand, doesn’t want to offend,

doesn’t want to admit ignorance or doesn’t dare to ask for

Marketing

EUHA congress 2014

PSYCHOLOGY

+www.audiology-worldnews.com

Find more marketing-related contents on www.audiology-worldnews.com

further explanations. These types of clients try to reassure

themselves, “there is no hurry, my hearing problems are

not that severe yet. I’m still young. It’s mainly because other

people don’t speak loud enough.” A real classic.

“I DON’T TRUST WHAT I’M TOLD”This is a worrying situation for the professional, but it is

by far the easiest to counter. It often results from saying

the wrong things at the wrong times, or in the wrong way.

Marketing specialists call this “overselling” but what really

happens is that the patient loses confidence. The sales side

is as important as the medical or psychological explanations

you give the customer. The right tone, simplicity and honesty

will have a more positive effect than a slick sales pitch.

“I HAVE NO FAITH IN THIS CENTRE’S PROFESSIONALISM”Much more difficult to pin down, this category of response

is hard to counter because it is often based on factors the

professional is not aware of. Old-fashioned decor, paint peeling

off the ceiling, restrooms that could be cleaner, signs of wear

and tear on the furniture, four-year-old magazines in the waiting

room, a wide range of small signs that might lead the client to

doubt the quality of your professionalism and that of your centre.

The client may subconsciously develop mistrust. Apart from

the appearance of the centre itself, the atmosphere between

staff members might contribute to it, for instance a hearing aid

specialist barking orders at his assistant, a clumsy assistant

letting a hearing aid fall to the ground, long waiting times, you

name it. At this stage, the hearing aid specialist could go back

on his tracks and consider where the relationship with the client

might have gone wrong, when was contact lost.

Taking a close look at the situation will not, in most cases

anyway, bring the customer back. But it will help the hearing

aid specialist to make improvements in the areas that were

identified as lacking. For instance, to improve communication

with future clients. The result will be that fewer and fewer

clients will use the old “It’s too expensive” argument as a

pretext for other, unknown reasons. Constance Aubin

Adaptation: Ludivine Aubin-Karpinski, J.E.Summary translation: Leendert van der Ent


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Market

EUHA congress 2014

International sales report

Market studyof Western Europe

This year’s study of hearing aid sales in Western

Europe has revealed sales of 3,087,000 units in

2013, an increase of 5.0% over the 2012 fi gure

of 2,940,000 units. The 2013 result was rather

surprising and welcome after the decrease of 0.9% in 2012.

Countries making the main contribution to the growth in

2013 were Norway at 37%, Switzerland at 14%, France at

9%, Germany at 8.4%, and the UK at 4%. It should be noted

that both Norway and Switzerland showed very high growth

in 2013 demonstrating recovery following the dramatic

downturns in 2012 in both countries.

In Germany, growth continued to be good; there was a boom

in November and December of 2013 because much had been

reported in the media about the new fl at rate of 785 Euros.

The boom has continued into 2014 which is good news for

2014 overall — the average market price has decreased but

sales fi gures still increase. BTE sales continue to be strong,

TONY GRANT-SALMON FROM THE BRITISH

HEARING AID MANUFACTURER’S ASSOCIATION

HAS COMPILED ALL THE AVAILABLE SALES

FIGURES FROM EUROPE FOR 2013 IN THIS

REPORT. 2013 SHOWED A 5% INCREASE IN

SALES OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR; STRONG

RESULTS IN NORWAY, SWITZERLAND, FRANCE

AND GERMANY LED THE WAY.

now taking 90% of the market. It should be noted that this

fi gure is estimated since no offi cial fi gure is available.

In France, there was strong growth in 2013 of 7.6%. There

had been a major slow-down in 2012, with growth at just

0.4% but there was recovery and upswing in 2013. The

total of 567, 000 units were inclusive of those instruments

provided under the scheme in France for universal healthcare

coverage. BTE sales increased, again, by a few percent.

In the UK, sales in the Private Sector increased by a

moderate 4% but Public Sales (NHS) increased by 23% to

reach 1,243,000 for the year. Thus, total sales in the UK

increased by 20% to 1,465,000.

Public sales exhibited the high level of growth due mainly

to the AQP Programme (Any Qualifi ed Provider), introduced

some two years ago by the NHS and giving patients the

right to choose freely from a range of providers who are

qualifi ed to provide safe, high quality care and treatment.

Euro

pean

Com

mis

sion


Having got off to a very slow start in 2011/2012, the

programme finally became established and started paying

dividends to NHS sales.

In Spain, once again there has been virtually zero growth

and annual figures remain at about 133K as has been for

recent years. However, 2014 has started quite well and

there is optimism for growth after the years of stagnation. It

should be noted that no official data on hearing aid sales is

published in Spain — the figures quoted are estimated.

In the Netherlands, there was a significant decrease

of 6.9% since the method of reimbursement changed in

January 2013 and there had been a rush at the end of 2012

to get hearing aids fitted and hence the market jumped

somewhat artificially in late 2012.

In Scandinavia, there was positive growth in Sweden of

5.4% but a downturn in Denmark of 9%, the latter mainly

due to change of hearing aid dispensing processes in the

public sector and consolidation of tender negotiations.

Dispensing processes were altered at the end of 2012 so

that more administration was required when dispensing

hearing aids in the public sector, causing dispensers

problems with treating the same amount of patients.

Tender negotiations, previously handled in the local

communes, were consolidated under a “buying group” called

AMGROS, which led to changes to hearing aid specifications

and price became a more significant selection issue. This

caused added complications for the dispensers who had to

conform to stricter rules when selecting hearing aids.

As mentioned earlier, both Norway and Switzerland

exhibited high growth due to their dramatic downturn

in 2012. Switzerland had problems in 2012 due to a)

lower reimbursement sums, b) tightened HL qualification

criteria, c) end-consumer covering the full amount to the

HCP and applying for individual reimbursement from the

state. Norway has also shown signs of recovery showing a

significant increase of 37% after the 2012 downturn.

The growth in BTE sales in the USA continues, with an

increase of 4% and reaching 74% in 2013 compared to

57% in 2007. This is in comparison with Europe where BTE

stands at the same level as 2012, at 84% of sales.

BTE growth can be attributed to the rise in sales of RIC/RITE

instruments, which have continued to confirm their technical

advantage and value to the user and establishing a strong

and positive position in the market with sales already

above close to 50% of total sales.

COMPARISON WITH THE USA

Comparison of sales and growth between Europe and the

USA in 2013 reveals that the USA and Western Europe

grew at similar rates, the USA by 4.8% and Western

Europe by 5.0%. Five year trends are also interesting in

that Europe has grown by 25% since 2008 whereas the

USA has grown by 24%, again very similar.

Last year, I estimated that sales in the European Union

for 2012 were 4,275,000 and my estimate for 2013 is

ca. 4,644,000. This figure is inclusive of the original 15

Western European countries, per the attached matrix, sales

in the twelve EU member states not shown on the main

matrix, UK Government NHS sales and unreported sales in

some countries.

The 4,644,000 represents an increase of 8.6% over

2012, this level of increase is due largely to the 23%

increase in NHS sales in 2013.

At 4,275,000 the EU maintains its position with 38%

of world sales which are estimated at ca. 11,300,000

units in 2013.

Finally, what will 2014 bring? Unlike last year, I am

optimistic about 2014, the first quarter having shown

good sales and signs of ongoing growth. This is despite

the financial difficulties still being experienced in some

European countries.

Lastly, my usual qualification that the availability of

information on hearing aid sales in Europe is limited, only

a few countries having formal reporting systems. This

study uses data collected by industry associations plus

that from informal but informed sources. Tony Grant-Salmon

+www.audio-infos.de

Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel auf Deutsch auf der Website von Audio Infos Deutschland.


Research

EUHA congress 2014

CI

Bilateral cochlear implantationunder the prism of the disruptive technology concept

In 1997, a book called The Innovator’s Dilema, by Clayton M.

Christensen, presented a concept called disruptive technology.

Basically, a disruptive technology is a technology that creates

a new market and may eventually disrupt an existing market,

substituting an earlier technology. The term describes products or

services improvements that are not expected by the market, fi rst

allowing the market to reach a different set of customers and then

lowering prices in the existing market.

In his model, Christensen distingues between low-end disruption

aiming at customers who do not need the top performance valued

by customers at the high end of the market.

To have a good understanding of the concept, let’s use

USING THE BUSINESS CONCEPT OF

TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION HELPS US TO

GIVE A DIFFERENT LOOK ON BILATERAL

COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION AND THE

BINAURAL BENEFITS IT PROVIDES TO

USERS. APPLYING THE CONCEPT SHOWS

FOR INSTANCE HOW SIMULTANEOUS OR

SHORT DELAY BILATERAL CI REPRESENTS

A DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE

TREATMENT OF BILATERAL DEAFNESS

SINCE IT PREVENTS AUDITORY CORTEX

FROM REORGANIZATION. LONG SEQUENTIAL

IMPLANT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A FORM

OF TECHONOLOGY DISRUPTION SINCE USERS

ACCEPT AND APPRECIATE A LOWER LEVEL

OF FIDELITY THAN THE MARKET EXPECTS

THEY WOULD REQUIRE TO GET THE LEVEL

OF BENEFIT THEY DERIVE. SETTLING

HAPPILY WITH THIS POORER FIDELITY

DEMONSTRATES THAT THE CRITERION GOOD

ENOUGH IS RELEVANT TO CONSIDER IN A

COST-EFFICACY ANALYSIS.

Polit

ec


the example of the cameras. A fancy brand will continue

to make a certain model better and better in such a way

that performance exceeds the needs of the high-end of

the market and of course, the low-end of the market.

They continue to progress by improving technology. The

company wants its high-end constituted market to approve

the products, so that the brand markets fancier cameras.

But one day a cellphone manufacturer put a camera on its

devices. The pictures were first pixelated and not of high quality

and the high-end cameras market customers did not buy the

idea. But the technology continued to improve and the market

in general has embraced it more than the camera standard

technology, thus provoking a market disruption. The market

disruption happened in the camera industry in 2011 where more

pictures were taken using cellphones than using cameras.

THE DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLGY MODEL FITS WELL TO THE HEALTH CARE FIELD.The disruptive technolgy model may be applied to many

things in our life and also fits well to a number of issues

that we have in the health care field. For instance, we can

apply the concept of disruptive technology to binaural

benefits of cochlear implant, looking at speech perception

and spatial unmasking in children.

With electroencephalography (EEG), Daniel Wong (1) got real

time imaging of the brain in children with cochlear implant.

This population cannot undergo MRI because of the CI

magnet. The information provided with EEG is the similar to

that derived with MRI and allows to compare the auditory

electrical activity on both side of the head and thus watch

the brain activated by CI.

Bilateral input protects the cortex from unilaterally-driven

reorganization in children who are deaf (2).

If you implant simultaneously, you have a normal auditory

cortex. With a very short delay between implant, you also have

a normal auditory cortex in terms of lateralization. But if there

is a long delay between the implants, you get an abnormal

organization of cortex. It will never be normally organized. So

by stimulating the auditory system with asymetric sounds the

brain responds by developping asymetrically.

Using this technique allowed us for the first time to see

how the brain organizes itself when exposed to sound. It

means that if part of the brain is not being used, the cost

of keeping that part of the brain alive is so high that the

brain will use it for something else rather than leaving it

dormant. So the area where the auditory cortex was not

stimulated are presumably working the visual system or the

proprioceptive system instead of the auditory system. And

it never will be allocated to the auditory system. That’s one

of the reason why bilateral cochlear implantation should be

progressively pursued.

Getting back to the philosophy of disruptive technology

and based on the work of Daniel Wong, we can say that

simultaneous or near-simultaneous implantation providing

symetric auditory brainstem development is a good thing

because it protects auditory cortex from reorganization.

On the contrary, sequential bilateral implantation with a long

delay between the two sides allows for asymetric auditory cortex

development that compromises the brain’s ability to binaurally

process sound. One would think then that long sequential

implantation will not provide as much benefit since the underlying

processing system has been so altered. Perhaps this is an

outcome that can demonstrate technology disruption.

The concept of disruptive technology describes a technology that

creates a new market and can knock down, eventually, an existent

market while substituting a more ancient technology.

Bilateral cochlear implantation

represents a disruptive technology in

the treatment of bilateral deafness.”

ARR


was far better that good enough. The technology disruption

had occurred.

Interestingly, a few years ago this data would have made

me think that the superiority of simultenous implantation

was the only application of the technology that would make

it cost-effective.

We were all surprised by the benefit accrued by the children

with asymmetric inputs after sequential implantation. Clearly

they were getting benefit that far exceeded our prediction

based on our (the market) expectations. The user was

delighted to just identify the general direction the sound source

emanated from. Then the listener could direct the better ear

and eyes towards the source and get the speech perception

benefit they desired. In practice, children have learned to

use their sequentially implanted devices and are some of

the most sucessful children in our program. They love their

devices. It allows them to find

sound sources and to behave

more naturally in the three-

dimensional auditory world.

So, in summary, bilateral

cochlear implantation represents

a disruptive technology in the

treatment of bilateral deafness

and users appreciate a much

lower level of fidelity of sound than we predicted. That means

that the criteria ‘good enough’ for benefit must be considered

now in the cost-efficacy context. Blake Papsin, Hospital

for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

(1) Beamformer suppression of cochlear implant artifacts in an

electroencephalography dataset. Wong DD, Gordon KA.IEEE

Trans Biomed Eng. 2009 Dec;56(12):2851-7

(2) Bilateral input protects the cortex from unilaterally-driven

reorganization in children who are deaf. Gordon KA, Wong

DD, Papsin BC. Brain. 2013 May;136(Pt 5):1609-25. doi:

10.1093/brain/awt052. Epub 2013 Apr 9)

SPEECH PERCEPTION IS A NON-SENSITIVE MEASURE OF BINAURAL BENEFITLet’s now consider speech perception. In our institution in

Toronto, when we compare all the data from our users we

see that the benefits in speech perception due to bilateral

implantation are initially best in the group that has been near

simultaneously implanted. This would support the benefit

of near simultaneous and simultaneous implantation and

supports the brain imaging data mentioned above. To our

surprise however, the benefits almost disappeared after

4 years of bilateral use which meant that any superiority we

had predected in speech perception was not measurable

after a long period of use. This was an interesting finding.

Interestingly, the most binaural benefit was observed when

the two ears were symmetric and the least benefit was

observed when there was one ear that performed much

better than the other.

This effect was small but substantiates the fact that the

brain likes to process symmetrical data. In fact there was a

direct correlation between performance and the degree of

symmetry which demonstates the degree to which the brain

likes to process symmetric data.

Using our technology model then would show that for

speech and language outcomes, the asymmetric inputs

one obtains with long sequential cochlear implants would

provide a benefit that was not good enough.

IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE OF SOUND IN SPACENext our group looked at a number of patients ability

to find sound sources in space using an experimental

technique called spatial unmasking and another one called

localization. In these two experiments all the subjects

showed some benefit. The children with simultaneous or

near simultaneous implants demonstrated near normal

results. But here was the big finding: even children with

long sequential implantation (and presumably asymmetric

processing) showed enough benefit to determine which

side of the world the sound source was coming from and

this was enough to allow them to turn towards it with their

good ear and eyes! It was all they needed. So whereas our

experiment (the market) predicted they would not benefit,

the constituent user (the consumer) found that the result

Research

EUHA congress 2014

CI

ARR

+www.audiology-infos.br.com

Leiam este artigo em português no site Audiology infos Brasil

Dr Blake Papsin – Hospital for Sick

Children, Toronto, Canada.


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