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Hearing loss Management >> Hearing Aid Evaluation and Fitting >> Real and Simulated Real Ear Measurements (REM)
Real and Simulated Real Ear Measurements (REM)
| The shapes and sizes of everyone's ears, ear canals and head are quite different, and the degree and type of hearing loss varies from individual to individual. As a result, identical hearing aids may function quite differently in one person's ear than on another person's ear. It's obvious, that during the fitting process, smaller volume infant ear canals can alter the gain of the prescribed Electroacoustic characteristics of the hearing aid. This needs to be carefully anticipated and managed in the fitting process. Real-ear measures of hearing aid gain and output are more accurate and reliable than functional gain measures. REM allows the audiologist to evaluate the function of the child’s hearing aids while he is wearing them. This evaluation guides the audiologist in making the necessary adjustments to assure optimal amplification. |
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Additionally, real-ear measures can provide an estimate of the maximum sound pressure level (SPL) delivered to the ear with the hearing aid in the ear canal. This is an important consideration when fitting hearing aids for infants and young children. Infant ear canal SPL values could be 20 dB higher than measured gain output from a 2 cc coupler. These are differences we must identify, quantify and account for during the hearing aid fitting process.
Real ear
measurement (REM) equipment provides simple test protocols for
assessing real ear measures in infants, children, and adults. Real-ear
measures are reliable, can be obtained quickly, and provide frequency
and intensity information. Unlike functional gain, these measures
provide information about gain for speech-level inputs and maximum
sound pressure levels delivered to the ear
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