Two patients with the same audiogram can have very different daily difficulty. Asking where hearing fails — phone calls, group conversation, noisy restaurants, television — guides both whether aids will help and how many. Difficulty in noise and localising sound are where a second aid most often helps.
- Ask about the three hardest listening situations for the patient.
- Record difficulty in background noise specifically.
- Set a follow-up at three months to review use and benefit.
- Check for cerumen and middle ear disease before referral.
Why it matters
Self-reported difficulty, not the audiogram alone, predicts who gains from aids.
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