Should I Recommend Induction Loop Systems to My Patients?

Posted by jonathan on April 5, 2011 under Hearing Loss, Product Reviews | Be the First to Comment

Submitted by: Joanne Dwyer, Au.D., Sr. Quality Manager

Have you ever dreamed of helping your patients hear better in all situations? How many times have your patients told you they cannot hear the fast-paced dialogue on TV or in a public place? It would be great if the hard of hearing could hear clearly in a grocery store, at a service counter window, at an airport or in a place of worship. Many of us have explained FM systems, but how many times have you discussed loop systems with your patients?

People with hearing loss struggle to hear speech clearly at a distance, in rooms with poor acoustics (reverberation and sound distortion) and/or distracting background noise. Working hard to hear clearly can be fatiguing and discouraging. Moreover, many hearing aid wearers blame their hearing aids. When in reality it can be difficult to hear clearly in many situations even if you have good hearing. How many times have you struggled to hear an important message delivered over a public address system? Can you imagine the added burden if you had a hearing impairment?

By fitting our patients with telecoils, we give them a built-in receiver and the potential to hear clearly in all listening situations. Residential loop systems can provide improved hearing on the phone, with the TV or stereo and even in the car. Commercial loop systems can improve hearing in public places.

An induction loop system consists of an amplifier and a loop. The amplifier is connected to a sound source such as a TV, stereo, public address system or a dedicated microphone. It then amplifies the sound signal and sends it through the loop to create a magnetic field. A hearing aid telecoil or a loop receiver (headset) then picks up the fluctuations in the magnetic field. By delivering the sound directly to the hearing aid or headset, the sound is pure and undistorted. Using ones own personal hearing aid is appealing to patients because it is less conspicuous than a headset receiver is and eliminates concerns about hygiene with public headsets. In addition, loop systems operate in settings with bright light and on a universal frequency thus eliminating the problem of operating in multiple frequencies as with FM systems.

Here in the United States we hear little about loop systems. However, with the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act along with increasing awareness from social, welfare, and public health authorities we can be hopeful to see more and more induction loop systems installed in public places.

In the meantime, we can assist our patients right now with residential loop systems. A pilot study conducted in HearUSA centers focused on two systems, a neck loop by Sennheiser, and a room loop by Phonic Ear. The loop systems were initially discussed during hearing aid evaluation and annual appointments. Demonstrations were provided during HELP Class as well as all hearing aid check appointments. Patients commented about how the loop systems would enhance their TV experience and improve the quality of their lives.

Disclaimer for Pacemaker Wearers: Under normal circumstances, a correctly installed induction loop system does not interfere with pacemakers. However, a minimum of two inches should be maintained between the loop cable and the pacemaker to remove any potential interference.