IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PROSPECTIVE HEARING AID USERS
Good health practice requires that a person with a hearing loss have a medical evaluation
by a licensed physician (preferably a physician who specializes in diseases of the ear) before
purchasing a hearing aid. Licensed physicians who specialize in diseases of the ear are oen
referred to as otolaryngologists, otologists or otorhinolaryngologists. e purpose of
medical evaluation is to assure that all medically treatable conditions that may aect hearing
are identied and treated before the hearing aid is purchased.
Following the medical evaluation, the physician will give you a wrien statement that states
that your hearing loss has been medically evaluated and that you may be considered a
candidate for a hearing aid. e physician will refer you to an audiologist or a hearing aid
dispenser, as appropriate, for a hearing aid evaluation.
e audiologist or hearing aid dispenser will conduct a hearing aid evaluation to assess your
ability to hear with and without a hearing aid. e hearing aid evaluation will enable the
audiologist or dispenser to select and t a hearing aid to your individual needs.
If you have reservations about your ability to adapt to amplication, you should inquire
about the availability of a trial-rental or purchase-option program. Many hearing aid
dispensers now oer programs that permit you to wear a hearing aid for a period of time
for a nominal fee aer which you may decide if you want to purchase the hearing aid.
Federal law restricts the sale of hearing aids to those individuals who have obtained a
medical evaluation from a licensed physician. Federal law permits a fully informed adult to
sign a waiver statement declining the medical evaluation for religious or personal beliefs
that preclude consultation with a physician. e exercise of such a waiver is not in your best
health interest and its use is strongly discouraged.
If you elect to exercise your waiver option, you should know that hearing instruments cannot
restore normal hearing and will not prevent or improve a hearing impairment resulting
from organic conditions. Your success with amplication depends on your hearing loss
and individual experiences. In most cases, infrequent use of a hearing instrument will not
allow you to obtain full benet from it. Furthermore, the use of a hearing instrument is only
part of hearing rehabilitation and may need to be supplemented by auditory training and
instruction in lip reading.
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