From the 2018 program: “Anyone who has been paying attention knows that the field of Hearing Healthcare is changing at a rapid rate. Evidence of this occurred last summer when  President Donald Trump signed the Over the Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Act (part of the FDA Re-authorization Act of 2017) into law, which was aimed to allow patients to purchase Hearing Aids over the counter at their corner pharmacy, or more likely, at their closest national pharmacy retail center.  This highlights 2 significant changes to our field; 1) the ability of patients to purchase hearing aids from professionals untrained in hearing loss or its treatments, and 2) the influence of Big Health in your local market. While there is a 3 year (now 2 year) period before the final rules go into effect, it is clear that significant changes are coming to your practice. Are you ready to meet these challenges?

This year’s topic is focused on providing you tools to meet the challenge brought on by Big Health entering the Hearing Healthcare marketplace. We have invited excellent speakers who will teach you about OTC hearing aids, Hearing Healthcare delivery in a multinational Healthcare Organization, and the challenges these pose to independent practitioners. You will learn specific techniques that you can use in your practices to meet these challenges including unbundling, diversification of your services, and ways to establish collaborations with other healthcare professionals.

As always, we will also have a session on Hearing Research presented by leading hearing scientists who will describe their work in outer hair cell assessments, the benefits of nicotine on auditory processing, and the use of AI on hearing aid technology. Participants will also be able to gain first-hand experience with the latest hearing aid technologies through the breakout sessions where the attendees can listen to these technologies and make their own A/B comparisons.”

CHR’s Chair Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng and Dr. Raju Metherate spoke at this year seminar addressing topics including the role that artificial intelligence may plan on hearing aids and the field itself, and the benefits of nicotine on auditory processing, respectively. Thank you to the Palm Springs Hearing Seminars for having us!