Curious if any providers do any kind of personality test on people they’re fitting for hearing aids. From what I’ve read on the forum, I suspect being satisfied with hearing aids has much more to do with one’s personality than it does with any objective characteristic of one’s hearing or hearing aids.
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I think I disagree, I mean there’s the known 4 types of personality
Elancholic (quiet type) Phlegmatic (laid back easy-going type)
Choleric (irritable, angry type)
Sanguine (optimistic, positive)
I’m sure anyone could be satisfied or dissatisfied with their HAs, but maybe more depending on the initial consultation with their audiologist, so maybe it actually depends on what the audiologists is like as well?
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The CI evaluation is partially an attitude questionnaire, maybe a little about personality.
The driver is to see if the candidate is willing to try and make the CI work.
I think most hearing aid failures could be avoided if the fitter asked more questions about why they want hearing aids rather than hustling a sale.
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I agree. Learn patient expectations and then share what’s realistic.
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I think personality does matter a bit, but people have unrealistic expectations. Societal factors come into play a lot too. I have never understood why HAs are this huge deal, but people who don’t even need them wear glasses.
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That’s true. The ‘personality’ of the audiologist or sales person has an equal weight in satisfaction also. A pushy or overbearing personality at the source of the sale is hard to take. Sadly, this has been an issue with me with one major local sales entity.
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I don’t recall whether my audiologist did any sort of scientific personality test, but she definitely takes time to get to know the patient/prospective patient and factors in the patient’s lifestyle, tech savviness, length of time with hearing aids vs brand new, the patient’s expectations, etc. A person’s attitude and expectations are a big part of their success or failure with HAs. The audiologist can’t change the former but they can help manage the patient’s expectations. One of the keys to success, especially for that first pair, is patience and good communications with the audi. I have learned to just describe any issues to the best of my ability and in my own words, and she will almost always “get” it, and if not she will ask more questions of me. And whenever I get new HAs, I schedule a followup appointment a couple of weeks out because I do not expect them to work perfectly for me when I walk out the door. Instead, I will make notes about what I’m experiencing. If my brain has figured it out by that followup visit, I cross it off the list. If not, I will discuss it with her and she will make any needed adjustments. I feel very fortunate to have found my audi and that her office is so convenient. I don’t know what I would do without her. But getting back to the original question, personality is among the factors in hearing aid success, but I doubt that audis perform personality tests; I suspect it’s more intuitive than that. But I could be wrong.
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This is a great idea!
Just from my own experiences I can see how a more informed intake would have streamlined the process, and significantly cut down number of fitting visits, even skipping a trial or two.
I understand that there’s a stigma for many about wearing hearing aids. To their credit, both audis I saw did talk about the issues and gauge my nervousness about wearing, or concerns for appearance.
Regarding their personality/sales technique: It was, commendably, ‘let the patient explore what they like and works for the them.’ Which did extend the process more than it needed - a minor gripe, but it was somewhat frustrating. Not that their suggestions were wrong, they were correct prescriptively. It would have helped them to have had a gauge of my mindset, my goals, and what would be acceptable to me.
Now, as I read that back to myself, and with hindsight, I feel somewhat complicit. But as first time patient for HAs, we don’t know the industry, the issues, even our preferences. An intake survey that delves into those would be a great help for patient and audi.
I’d even go further. An intake that helps the diagnosis, built around the numerous hearing deficiencies, can also help track benefits. I can see this higher customer satisfaction because benefits are tracked tangibly. Physiotherapists ask for pain level, opticians ask “1 or 2?” An equivalent for the audi industry would be more than nice.
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I suspect you’re correct that most good audiologists are quite attuned to a patient’s personality, but any assessment is informal.
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Usually, I was sanguine at the start, but often bordered on choleric during some frustrating fitting visits!
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My new hearing aid practitioner told me yesterday that the hardest customers are engineers and musicians.
I wear an iron ring as a Canadian engineer.
DaveL
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+1. IME, as both, that’s true but based on my experiences with a couple of audiologists, the problem is as much on the audi industry as square-peg patients.
I get that it’s a fundamental the goal is speech and the process, boiled down, is; Audiogram > HA > Ear, followed by a reiterative process of patient feedback and tweaks/changes until returns diminsh.
As inarguable the tangible aspects of clarity/comprehension/socialization regarding speech are important in that latter process, there are patients for whom music is a much a quality of life issue.
An intake form that expands the framework for goals, as well as personalty types, could inform approaches in the fitting process for the audiologists.
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I agree also,there was one at Costco that was a problem for me,he would talk over me and I was not the only one that was having a problem with this guy,Costco did get rid of him!
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Dr. Don Schum spoke to this quite a bit in lectures he gave that are on Audiology Online. His focus seemed less on personality and more of degree of perceived difficulty hearing was causing in daily life and on support systems.
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@Raudrive @MDB also talk to the patient try and work out if the patient/client is to sensitive or embarrassed to wear the aids. Vanity is a huge problem for a lot of people.
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I asked my elderly audiologist who I had just got to tweak my settings by a few dB over a specific frequency range (this was before I got myself set up for DIY) how many of his clients talked dB and kHz to him. He replied “None. You are only one, ever.”
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This is a really great thread! I find myself nodding in agreement to just about all of these comments. Truly - you’re walking in my footsteps (or am I walking in yours?!).
I got my first pair of aids in my early 30s. Back then vanity was a big thing. Plus I didn’t want to NEED a device (even tho I clearly NEEDED to need it!).
When I started working, I was grateful for the help I got from a hearing aid, but frustrated at the challenges still faced: no streaming back then, no Acoustic Phone program to hear better on the phone, forget about comprehending speech in loud noises!
Now pushing 70, I think I’m more focused on tech innovations in hearing. I’m THRILLED with the sound quality, streaming, BT connectivity and being able to comprehend speech better in a variety of situations. So, personality-wise, I think I went from being vain/insecure to determined/frustrated, to accepting, appreciative and curious!
I am also very fortunate that the last two audiologists I’ve had (past, present) have really understoond where I’m coming from and gone the extra mile to keep me satisfied with my aids. They encourage me to try different models, never quibble if I come in a dozen times for fine-tuning afterwards, and are very supportive with Phonak Tech Support when I have an issue with my aids.
I absolutely think that personality is a key factor for 1.) a person accepting hearing issues and attending to them, and 2.) patient, caring audiologists who work with us to deliver an optimum solution.
I have to also add a huge SHOUT OUT to the forum, cuz - no kidding! - I get a handful of qualified answers/suggestions here before my audi has even read her email or gotten my phone message. This forum is the best thing that’s happened for my lifelong quest to hear as good as possible and stay socially engaged and optimistic. 
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Hah! Yes. I just had a flashback to blank looks I got from my Audi telling them the frequency of my tinnitus, or the whistling feedback. Or when I asked what the values were in the app and setup tables, decibels, bits, etc. Those incidents didn’t inspire confidence at first, but they make appropriate changes and dealt with the issues.
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I always insist on getting a copy of my audiogram. Just mentioning Tinnitus with my previous Audiologist got a blank look
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I don’y think ot has anything to do with personality. It has to do with how the hearing aids function and.whether or not they effectively assist with your hearing needs. Do you wear hearing aids? I suspect not or you would understand this. Would your personality effect your satisfaction with your dentures, or would it be about the fit, and your ability to eat with them in?