Reflective Journals on real ear measurment and prescription rules Essay

Reflective Journals on real ear measurment and prescription rules - Essay Example But patient response/opinion should also be in parallel with that of the audiologist in order to reach target. A cooperative patient will of course yield successful results whilst a patient in denial will not. A good fit is an important benefit to patients and that the use of REM recognizes the differences between coupler and real-ear measurements. In addition, patient benefit is greater when the target is well-matched. The baseline measure is useful when the patient will want to change aid later on. REM also shows the effects of fine tuning and provides graphical confirmation to the audiologist that the intended prescription/processing strategy have been implemented by the hearing aid software. Real ear measurement ensures the audiologist will be able to understand the whole process. REM is also helpful during counselling of patient and their family members about what they can and cannot hear. It will verify the function of advanced features like directional microphone and even nois e reduction features. Therefore, the audiologist should be adept about REM. During the lectures and readings, I also learned considerations for adults and children patients due to different approaches to real ear measurement. It was suggested that normal hearing in infants are uncertain (Ching et al, 2001). There are also acoustical differences between the ear canals of children and adults that affect the audiometric data as well as the hearing aid amplification. The audiologist should be aware of this when faced with a child or adult patient. To minimize or eliminate mistakes in prescribing amplification, the audiologist should base thresholds in sound pressure level at the tympanic membrane. Measurement errors are seen to be fewer for adults, especially those with average ear canal size and resonance. Children are also more restless during probe tube