Services

At The Hearing Group of New Mexico, we are dedicated to providing you with superior service and we guarantee your complete satisfaction.   We provide comprehensive hearing healthcare for all ages and you can be assured that you will be seen by university- trained, licensed audiologists. 

Services provided at The Hearing Group of New Mexico include:

• Audiological Evaluations for children, and adults
• Full Range of Hearing Aid Technology
• Live Speech Mapping
• Total Audiological Care Plan
• Industrial Hearing Testing
• Cochlear Implant Services
• Pediatric Services
• Spanish Services available (247-4472)
• Hearing Aid Evaluations/Consultations
• Assistive Listening Devices
• Wireless Solutions for TV, Cell Phones, and MP3 Players
• Hearing Aid Service and Repair
• Products for Musicians such as in-the-ear monitors and musician's earplugs.
• Custom Ear Pieces for hearing protection, swimming, cell phones, and MP3 players
• Ear Wax Removal Services
• Insurance Filing

For more information, please call us @ 247-4466.

AUDIOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS

A complete audiological evaluation is the first step to good hearing health and is necessary for a successful outcome.  The diagnostic audiological evaluation is not merely a hearing test.  Our patients are carefully questioned about the type and severity of problem they are having with their hearing.  The assessment of their hearing involves differential diagnosis of the type (conductive or sensorineural) and degree of hearing loss.  Tympanograms, acoustic reflex testing, and otoacoustic emissions augment the pure-tone and speech recognition evaluations to result in not just an audiogram, but a clear picture of the patient's overall auditory condition.  This information is of great value to the physician when determining the need for medical treatment and is vital for making appropriate recommendations for assistive listening devices and/or hearing aids.

Our comprehensive test battery follows best practices guidelines established by The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and The American Academy of Audiology (AAA).  A comprehensive diagnostic evaluation includes:    

• Complete medical and hearing case history
• Otoscopy or video otoscopy to examine the external ear canal and the ear drum for any abnormalities
• Behavioral pure-tone audiometry to determine and graph hearing sensitivity
• Behavioral procedures to obtain speech detection/awareness/reception/recognition thresholds in quiet and in noise to determine the ability to hear and understand speech
• Acoustic immittance evaluation consisting of tympanometry, static immittance, and acoustic reflex measures to evaluate the status of the middle ear and lower auditory brainstem.
• Otoacoustic emission evaluation to provide and objective measure of inner ear integrity.

For more information, please call us @ 247-4466.

HEARING AIDS AND ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES

• We are proud to offer a full range of the latest hearing aid technology from almost all of the major manufacturers in the industry. We have products that range from basic, entry- level products through the most advanced, state-of-the-art solutions.
• Hearing Aids dispensed at The Hearing Group of New Mexico are provided as a part of a comprehensive plan of care which includes:
  • A formal assessment of communication needs/challenges.
  • Development of a custom tailored treatment plan to address individual needs.
  • Working with each patient to select the most appropriate hearing aids and assistive listening devices to treat their hearing loss and address their communication needs.
  • Taking impressions of the ears for custom fitting devices and earmolds.
  • Providing custom programming of hearing instruments using state-of-the art equipment.
  • Performing Real Ear Measurements to verify hearing aid performance and to ensure that the hearing aids are fit to each patient's individual prescription.
  • Follow-up visits for hearing aid adjustments, modifications to the physical fit, and routine maintenance.
  • Formal outcome measures to validate the treatment goals have been met.
  • Training patients on the proper use, care, and maintenance of their hearing aids.
  • Educating patients and their families on various communication strategies they can use to get the most benefit from their hearing aids and/or assistive listening devices.

For more information, please call us @ 247-4466.

REAL-EAR MEASUREMENTS

Real-ear measurements provide a method for objectively assessing the accuracy of a hearing aid fitting.  The purpose behind real ear measurements is that individual ears are very different from one patient to the next, and those differences have a major affect on the benefit a hearing aid provides to the wearer.  The only way to truly account for those individual ear differences is to take a physical measurement of how the hearing aid is amplifying sound.  Real ear measurements make this possible and that is why they are considered the "gold standard" method for achieving a proper hearing aid fit.    

To conduct these measurements, a small microphone is placed in the ear canal near the eardrum while the user wears the hearing aid.  Various sounds such as speech and music are then presented.  While the hearing aid processes and amplifies the various sounds, the resulting output from the hearing aid is measured in real time at the level of the ear-drum.  Once these measurements are completed, they are compared to known, empirically verified prescriptions for sound levels that are unique and based on a patient's individual hearing profile.  Using this data, adjustments to the hearing aids can then be reliably made to insure that the widest possible range of speech sounds are audible.  This also helps to insure that soft sounds can be heard and that loud incoming sounds are not over-amplified.    

At The Hearing Group of New Mexico, we utilize the Audioscan Verifit VF-1 Real Ear Measurement system, which is highly sophisticated and widely recognized as the industry standard equipment for performing real ear measurements.  The system even has the capability to objectively measure many of the advanced features available in modern hearing instruments such as directional microphones, noise reduction systems, and digital feedback management.    

Live speech mapping using prescription-based fitting targets is part of best practice and should be included as a vital aspect of every hearing aid fitting.  The fact is, it is impossible to accurately predict that an individual's prescription has been achieved without conducting these measurements.  At The Hearing Group of New Mexico, Real Ear Measurements are an important part of our hearing instrument fitting protocol.

The benefit of this technology for our patients is improved clarity, better sound quality, fewer follow-up visits, and the peace of mind of knowing that your hearing instruments are optimized and providing you with maximum benefit.

TOTAL AUDIOLOGICAL CARE PROGRAM 

To provide you with ongoing care including maintenance and adjustment services, we offer the Total Audiological Care Program.  This comprehensive program includes a host of services designed to provide consistent, high-quality performance from your new hearing instrument.   Services included in the price of your new hearing aids are:

• Quarterly cleanings and adjustments for the life of the hearing aids
• Yearly audiometric screenings
• Yearly hearing instrument evaluation using electroacoustic analysis
• First year loss and damage insurance (2nd year on some models, 3rd year on premium models)
• First year repair warranty (2nd year on some models, 3rd year on premium models)
• Batteries provided for the life of the hearing aids (must be picked up in office)
• Hearing aid reprogramming for the life of the hearing aids

 
If you would like to learn more about your hearing and the solutions that are available, please call us at 247-4466 to schedule your free consultation or technology demonstration!