Before
The National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) has introduced a new consumer guide to hearing aid technology features, “NALguide: Hearing aid features explained”. This project was undertaken as a way to help hearing aid users and the general public understand the large, and often overwhelming, landscape of hearing aid technology available in the hearing device market today. The guide is presented from the perspective of consumer listening needs.
NALguide is accessible as a downloadable PDF as well as an interactive webpage on the NAL website which provides more detailed information. NALguide: Hearing Aid Features Explained – NAL
NAL aim for this guide to be a relevant and evolving resource to inform the typical hearing aid consumer, and to facilitate discussions with their hearing healthcare professional. The guide and PDF are live and available to access and explore as of today.
The principle behind the guide: With information available from such a wide array of sources it can often be difficult to navigate and understand these technologies and features, particularly when a person finds themselves evaluating opinions, reviews, and marketing materials. This guide was carefully consolidated and compiled from a wide range of publicly available sources, and refined so as to communicate no preference or bias toward a certain feature, manufacturer, or technology level. NALguide serves to empower hearing aid users and other stakeholders to better understand and discuss hearing aid technology, and to ultimately achieve the best outcomes for their individual needs.
This work was undertaken with support from and in consultation with the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, The Hearing Aid Manufacturers and Distributors Association of Australia, and the Deafness Forum Australia.
