Kaiser Permanente Hearing Aid Centers Offer Full Range of High-quality Services.

Assignment/Business Editors &Healthcare Writers

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 27, 2000

Dolores Hiskes was so glad to be hearing things -- that is, the things she wanted to hear. As a speaker to large groups about reading and phonics, too often she couldn't make out people's questions because her hearing aid picked up so much background noise.

All that changed when she got fitted for a more sophisticated digital hearing aid at Kaiser Permanente's Hayward Hearing Center.

&uot;It's made all the difference to me as a person and in my business,&uot; said Hiskes, 68, of Livermore, who had purchased her previous aid at a local business. &uot;The hearing aid doesn't amplify the background noise, only human voices. And I can enjoy movies and TV more.&uot;

Hiskes credits the Hearing Center for offering a full range of technologies and styles in hearing aids, taking the time to evaluate which kind would best suit her needs, and working with her to be sure hers fit properly and performed well.

&uot;My audiologist at the Kaiser Hearing Center took so much time with me, answering all my questions,&uot; she said. &uot;Everyone there was so knowledgeable and helpful. They wanted to make it right for me.&uot;

Hiskes is among a legion of satisfied members who have purchased hearing aids at one of Kaiser Permanente's six free-standing hearing centers at its Northern California medical centers -- in Hayward, Roseville, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and Vallejo. Before the first of the centers opened in 1992, members diagnosed with a hearing loss that could be helped by hearing aids sometimes found it difficult to find hearing aid providers.

The centers are intended to provide a convenient, high-quality service that is part of the 0member's overall care -- and for a competitive price. While tests for hearing loss are a Health Plan benefit, there is often a charge for hearing aids and accessories, depending on the member's coverage.

&uot;The reason we started hearing aid centers in the first place is that patients would ordinarily ask us where they could go to obtain hearing aids,&uot; said Keith Matsuoka, MD, of the Hayward Hearing Center. &uot;The hearing aid industry is not highly regulated. We really felt our members could best be served by having a place to obtain hearing aids and hearing service that they trust -- from us.&uot;

Members give the centers very high grades. In a survey at the Hayward center, for example, 100 percent of patients said they were adequately trained to use their hearing aids, 98 percent felt they were thoroughly evaluated for their new aid, and 100 percent rated their experiences with audiologists who tested and fitted them to be good or excellent.

The centers are staffed by Kaiser Permanente audiologists and a head and neck surgeon who is available for medical consultations.

A full range of hearing aids is provided -- conventional, programmable and digital -- in a variety of styles such as behind-the-ear, in-the-ear and tiny ear canal models. Accessories are also sold, including, at most centers, swim plugs, assistive listening devices for the telephone or television, and telephone ear cushions. The aids come with extended warranties of two to three years, more than the average one year obtained at outside retail dealers.

Audiologists at either the medical center or the hearing center evaluate members to determine whether they have a hearing loss that would benefit from a hearing aid and whether there is an underlying medical reason for the loss.

At the hearing center, state-licensed audiologists, all with master's degrees, then test patients' hearing to assess what kind of hearing aid best suits them. They ask patients about their needs, determine how motivated they are to making the aids work, and discuss realistic expectations for hearing with them. Each center offers various educational services, which can include an educational video, classes or support groups.

&uot;We're here to help the patient,&uot; said Rebecca Meredith, an audiologist at the Santa Clara Hearing Aid Center. &uot;There's no sales pressure for what goes on at the center. When patients are here, they're given an honest, realistic presentation, which is really important.&uot;

The audiologists, who receive no commission, fit patients with a hearing aid and then counsel them on how to adapt to using the device. In at least three follow-up visits, they check to see it is functioning properly, make any needed adjustments, and teach patients how to use it. The audiologists work with patients and their families to cope with the challenge.

Adjusting to a hearing aid can be difficult, and the intensive support from the audiologists helps members overcome frustrations and persevere. At the Hayward center, for example, the return rate on hearing aids is less than 10 percent, while the industry average is about 20 percent, Matsuoka said.

&uot;Someone who is 65 and using a hearing aid is not going to hear like they heard at 10,&uot; Matsuoka said. &uot;Your brain won't process sounds like before when it allowed you to inhibit some background noise. This amplification device can't do all of that. You have to adjust to the kind of hearing you now have. If you don't have someone to work with you on using the aid, you may wind up with your hearing aid on the shelf.&uot;

Kaiser Permanente, California, is a prepaid, group practice health maintenance organization (HMO) serving more than 5.9 million members throughout the state. More than 7,000 Permanente medical group physicians in both The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) in Northern California and the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG), as well as 55,300 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals employees, provide care to Health Plan members. There are 28 major medical centers organized into 12 service areas throughout California.

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