Innovations in Virtual Hearing Care

2020-12-24 Recently, HearingLife’s Chief Audiologist, Dr. Leslie Soiles, held a Facebook Live session to share updates on how HearingLife's experts have been serving the needs of the hearing loss community during the pandemic. HearingLife has expanded its offerings and streamlined services over recent months to offer virtual service to better support changing needs. If you weren't able to attend the event (or are not on Facebook), we invite you to learn more about these services here.

HearingLife anniversary recognized with innovations in hearing care
Dr. Soiles also shared that August marked HearingLife's 14-year anniversary. While their roots go much farther back (which you can read about in Our Story), they are proud of the great headway they have made as a company.


Industry-leading solutions in the age of Covid-19
As many parts of the country shut down in the wake of the Coronavirus, HearingLife listened to their customers and designed solutions to meet their needs. Dr. Soiles explained how these innovations in hearing care have become industry standards through the launch of new safety protocols and care you can count on programs.

Safety first!
If you haven’t been to a HearingLife office for a while, you will notice some changes. To keep both clients and team members safe, it is required that everyone wear a mask and staff are performing temperature screenings when customers enter the office. In addition, they are sanitizing surfaces between appointments, “We are limiting crossover contamination between clients by making visitors wait in the car, so we can invite them into the office only once the previous appointment is over,” the Chief Audiologist explains, "allowing for social distancing and a safer experience."

Hearing aid batteries for everyone
Dr. Soiles explained that during the height of the crisis, when many hearing aid centers across the country had to close, HearingLife shipped free batteries to thousands of people (both to their own customers and people who had previously not been to HearingLife for treatment), free of charge. Now that their locations are open again, they are asking customers to contact their local HearingLife office to get new batteries. 

New drive-up hearing care service
To provide for minimal-contact care, HearingLife has implemented "1-2-3 Drive-Up Service." This allows customers to receive help without leaving their car, minimizing exposure for everyone. It's very simple. For repair or adjustment services, a HearingLife team member will meet you in your car, take your hearing aid in for service and return it to you. Please inquire about this service when you book an appointment to confirm availability.

RemoteCare team provides best-in-class virtual hearing care
Earlier this spring, Dr. Soiles and her colleagues launched virtual services that would connect patients with an audiologist who could troubleshoot their issues with their hearing aids. Even with extraordinary safety measures in place, some of their clients did not feel ready or able to leave their homes. Their providers have now started to offer face-to-face tele-consults using a variety of apps, depending on the customer's comfort level. Whether via Facebook, Messenger, Skype, Zoom, Teams or FaceTime, the RemoteCare team answers questions from customers across the country.

Self-help guides – a video is worth more than a thousand words!
Often, when trying to coach clients over the phone, it is much easier to troubleshoot problems by providing videos via email or referencing online videos to troubleshoot problems with a hearing aid. Dr. Soiles explains, “A picture is worth a thousand words. Never was that more true.”

Anyone can access these complimentary videos and guides in our Self Help information. Dr. Soiles encourages everyone to explore this informative resource and discover important maintenance tips, such as how to take care of plugged wax guards. The guides include clear descriptions, pictures and videos on a variety of topics.



Next in innovations in hearing care: remote hearing assessments

“HearingLife is exploring all new opportunities to better service our customers,” explains Dr. Soiles to the Facebook Live audience. “HearingLife is partnering with a number of other companies that are looking for a way to have a hearing assessment conducted from the comfort of somebody’s home. As part of a beta study in a few select states, HearingLife is testing remote assessments. As we learn more about the program, we plan to provide this service across the country.”