The Official Publication of The Academy of Dispensing Audiologists

Transcription

feedback
The Official Publication of The Academy of Dispensing Audiologists®
7
22
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A call to action
to respond to
an assault on
our profession.
An excellent review
of ear candling you
can share with
inquiring patients.
Advance agenda
for the ADA 2005
Convention in
Savannah.
11
The Public
Reviews
Small Business
Book Review: Hearing Care For The Older Adult
Practitioner’s Corner: Self-Test Device Helps Market Your Practice
Member Services: Professional Update, Convention 2005
VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2
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The Official Publication of The Academy of Dispensing Audiologists®
C
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O
N
T
President’s Message
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Craig W. Johnson, Au.D.
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T
S
ADA Convention 2005 –
Advance Agenda
Larry Englemann, Au.D.,
2005 Convention Chair
Editor’s Note Kevin Ruggle, Au.D.
Hearing On The Hill - A Spark
To Action
N
32
Self-Test Device Helps Market
Your Practice
John Diles
10
The Public Reviews Small Business
William J. Dennis, Jr.
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22
Professional Update
Why Ear Candling Is Not A
Good Idea
35
Book Review
Linda S Remensnyder, Au.D.
37
Your Number Is Up!
NPI Update
Kevin Ruggle, Au.D.
Lisa M.L. Dryer, M.D.
Advertisers Index
Oticon...........................................Inside Front Cover
Unitron Hearing ........................................................5
Siemens......................................................................9
Energizer ..................................................................16
Phonak Hearing Systems ................................20-21
Discovery Hearing Aid Warranties......................30
Hansaton Hearing Systems..................................30
Emtech Laboratories, Inc. ....................................34
SeboTek Hearing Systems....................................36
Widex ............................................Inside Back Cover
Starkey .....................................................Back Cover
All advertisements sent to Feedback and the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists for publication must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
The appearance of advertisements in Feedback magazine is not an endorsement of the advertiser or its products or services. Neither Feedback nor the
ADA board investigates the claims made by advertisers and is not responsible for their claims.
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President’s Message ADA
President’s Message
ADA Board Works For You!
Y
our ADA Board has been working tirelessly on your behalf! In
less than four months we will be hosting our 29th convention.
Our Convention Chair, Larry Engelmann and his committee
have been working diligently to plan another excellent convention that will be held in Savannah from October 26-29, 2005. By tradition,
the convention will provide a wide range of topics that reflect our scope of
practice, and will highlight our expanding educational interests.
The convention includes an
update on the latest amplification technologies from both a
valuation and fitting prospective. In addition, we hope to
expand your knowledge in other important areas that are vital
for your practice and patient
management.Business resources
to meet today’s marketplace
challenges will be an important
ingredient of your convention
experience. If you have any
comments or suggestions,there
is still time for Larry to “keep his
ears open.”In this issue you will
find a preliminary convention
program that once again
demonstrates ADA’s unique
educational opportunities. As a
member of ADA,don’t miss this
vital yearly trek to reinvigorate
your practice.
ADA Headquarters
Relocates
As you may remember from
a recent letter, the ADA board
decided to change the association’s management firm. David
Berkey, ADA’s Treasurer, has
served you, our members, with
great distinction during this
transition. The new firm,
Smith Bucklin, officially
opened for ADA business last
month and our offices are now
located in Chicago. You can
find up-to-date address and
phone numbers on our website
(www.audiologist.org). Smith
Bucklin has developed a team
of individuals headed by our
new Executive Director, Kevin
AFA hosting an “Audiology
Summit” conference to discuss
issues facing the profession.
Board members,Larry Eng and
Joe Hibbert, represented ADA
during a series of preliminary
planning discussions. The time-
In this issue you will find a preliminary convention
program that once again demonstrates ADA’s unique
educational opportunities. As a member of ADA, don’t
miss this vital yearly trek to reinvigorate your practice.
Hacke, that will provide excellent membership services. One
of the key factors in the ADA’s
board decision to partner with
Smith Bucklin was that their
entrepreneurial spirit and corporate culture mirrored our
member’s values. The new firm
will be better positioned to
work with your Board to
provide programs that will assist
you with your practice and
personal growth.
Board Activities
Earlier this year the Audiology
Foundation of America (AFA),
contacted the audiology membership organizations and
requested a series of meetings to
investigate the possibility of
frame for the conference is
being considered for 2006.
The Hear ing Industr ies
Association (HIA) proposed a
joint project with audiology
membership and consumer
based organizations to investigate consumer’s perception of
hearing aids. HIA envisioned
a multi-year, phased, collaborative effort by the hearing care
field to learn directly from
consumers about their experiences in accessing treatment or
deciding not to treat their
hearing losses and, based on
what is learned, to then create
a new hear ing healthcare
agenda to improve hearing aid
service delivery.
We anticipate that the 2006
Craig Johnson, Au.D.
ADA President
ADA convention will be able
to provide an initial report on
this consumer project. Board
member, Linda Burba, serves
as the ADA representative for
this project.
In early March,I attended the
Hearing Industry Association
(HIA) Annual Convention.
Each year, the HIA, comprised
of the leading manufacturers
and suppliers, meet to discuss
mutual goals and objectives. As
part of their meeting,they invite
the presidents of the allied associations to observe and participate in several of the events.
This meeting is an excellent
time for ADA to interface with
the HIA members to ensure
that they understand the opportunities provided to them by
our convention. This interaction assists in the support of our
sponsorship programs. Without
these manufacturer sponsorships, our convention would
not be nearly as productive.
This is an excellent opportunity to meet with the CEO’s
of manufacturers and supplies
in our industry to help them
better understand ADA, our
objectives, and how we can
work together to improve our
mutual opportunities.
Continued On Page 38
FEEDBACK • VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2 • 2005
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ADA Editor’s Note
Editor’s Note
President
cjohnson@audiologist.org
Kevin Ruggle, Au.D.
Controlling Your Neighbors
President Elect
Larry Engelmann, Au.D.
lengelmann@audiologist.org
One of my favorite teachers, Mr.Tom South, once told me as a senior in High
School that “you can’t control everything in life, but if you can control your
neighbors, it helps a great deal.” He went on to tell us how over the years, he
Past President
Cynthia Ellison, Au.D.
cellison@audiologist.org
Treasurer
David Berkey, Au.D.
dberkey@audiologist.org
Secretary
Lee Micken, Au.D.
lmicken@audiologist.org
Board of Directors
Linda Burba, Au.D.
lburba@audiologist.org
had found a home he really liked in Perry, IA, and then subsequently, purchased
the home on either side of it. In this way, he had some control over who lived
Kevin Ruggle, Au.D.
by him, and what went on there.
Twenty years later, I realize how right he was. The neighbors he spoke of were just that, people
living next door. The neighbors we talk about in Audiology are other professional groups such as
AAO-HNS and IHS, who have joined forces to try to move us out of the neighborhood. Please
look at the advertisement they placed together on the same day as the Hearing on the Hill (page 8)
related to the Direct Access Bill.
It is time for all audiologists to stop being the quiet neighbors who close their garage doors and are
never seen again. It is time for audiologists to put up their yard signs(talk to your congressman or
senator),sign petitions (have your patients contact them as well),and form a neighborhood watch group
(become involved with ADA) in order to make our neighborhood flourish.
Don’t be foolish enough to sit back and wait, and hope that other Audiologists will accomplish our
Lawrence Eng, Au.D.
leng@audiologist.org
direct access goals. Many homeowners have sat back and watched their neighborhoods decay to such
a level that the whole neighborhood must be torn down, or abandoned. We are in involved in a bat-
C. Joseph Hibbert, Au.D.
jhibbert@audiologist.org
Administrative Audiologist
Susan Williamson, Au.D.
Phone: (828) 694-3834
swilliamson@audiologist.org
Feedback Editor
Kevin Ruggle, Au.D.
1213 Hylton Heights Road, #105
Manhattan, KS 66503
Phone: (785) 537-4005
kruggle@audiologist.org
Feedback is the official publication of the Academy of
Dispensing Audiologists®. Feedback is published four
times a year with deadlines of January 15, April 15,
July 15, and October 15. Contributions are welcomed but
the Editor reserves the right to accept or reject any
material for publication. All articles published in this
magazine represent solely the individual opinions of the
writers and not necessarily those of the Academy of
Dispensing Audiologists®.
tle to establish another footing for our profession, a footing that is vital to our independence.
One of the other reasons I really enjoyed Mr. South was that he had this unique ability to get people involved. His students were not allowed to be uninvolved! He was able to convince his students
that being involved and being a community contributor was best for them and for the community.
He often found a back door that allowed the students to convince themselves to be involved. He was
gifted in the area of finding the strong suits of his students, and MAKING them use their abilities.
Whatever your abilities are, now is the time to contribute them to the cause of direct access. It is our
house, our neighborhood, and our profession, and we should plan to keep it that way!
Kevin Ruggle,Au.D.
Feedback Editor
drruggle@kansas.net
MISSION STATEMENT
Feedback Editor: Kevin Ruggle, Au.D.
Phone: (785) 537-4005 • Fax: (785) 537-0196
Advertising: Susan Williamson - (828) 694-3834
6
It is the mission of Feedback to provide doctoral level technical, professional, business, and Academy information in a way
that prepares the ADA membership to achieve professional success, and ensure that Audiologists have the choice of
practicing autonomously as the recognized leaders in hearing and balance care and dispensing hearing instruments.
Hearing On The Hill Feature
n May 18th,Susan Williamson and Craig Johnson participated
in the Hearing on the Hill Day on behalf of ADA that was
sponsored by the Hearing Industry Association (HIA). This
was intended as a joint professional association opportunity to speak with
legislators and their staffs about hearing loss. All membership groups
and organizations dedicated to serving the hearing impaired were
invited by HIA to participate in a “non-partisan atmosphere”.
O
Continued On Next Page
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Feature Hearing On The Hill
Groups represented were ADA,American
Academy of Audiology,American Academy
of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery, International Hearing Society,
SHHH and others. HIA’s primary goal was
to communicate to Congress concerning
their initiative, the Hearing Aid Assistance
Tax Credit Act (HR 414). To begin the
event, a presentation was made to honor
Senator Coleman by HIA,since he has been
a longtime advocate of the HIA legislative
effort. A luncheon was then held for the staff
of members of the Hearing Caucus.
Following these events, an afternoon was
dedicated to providing hearing screenings
and video otoscopy to members of
Congress and their staffs. Each organization
was invited to setup a display booth to represent their contribution to the field of hearing health care.
In a direct departure from the intended
collegial tone of the event,AAO-HNS and
HIS took out a full page ad in the “Roll
Call”,a Congressional daily newspaper. The
ad that is reproduced for your review attacks
our profession on the issue of direct access.
As you can see from reviewing the ad,it was
a malicious and untruthful assault on our
profession. Members of these two organizations should be remorseful of such an
openly partisan attack.
How is the profession of audiology
responding? AAA, ADA and ASHA have
sent a joint letter to each member of
Congress to give an appropriate perspective
on direct access and its true impact on
patient care. This,however,was only the first
step. Now it’s vital for you to act to create
a groundswell of support for direct access for
Medicare. Your leaders have worked to provide the opportunity,now it is time for you
to also take responsibility. Here is what we
need you to do today!!
1. Locate the name of your representatives in the House of Representatives.
http://www.house.gov/
2. Once you have identified this individual, you need to call their office in
Washington,D.C.(they will also maintain district offices) and obtain the
name of the legislative aide that handles health care issues.
3.You then need to download a sample
letter that is available at the following
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site; http://www.audiologist.org/
prof_legis_onthehill.php. Personalize
the letter with the name of the legislative aide in your Congressional office,
and fax the letter your representative’s
Washington D.C. office.
4. Three days after faxing the letter, call
the aide and ask them for their cosponsorship of H.R. 415.
We need you to act now! If you do your
part, together we will succeed and improve
health care services for our patients. Let the
“Manager of Hearing and Balance Care”be
known and accessible to all Americans. ■
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Feature Perspectives In Audiology
10
Perspectives In Audiology Feature
Editors Note: this is the first in a series of articles designed to give ADA
members insight into how we are viewed by the public, our patients, and our
colleagues. Look for future articles in these areas in upcoming Feedback issues.
The complete research study is available at www.nfib.com.
The Public
Reviews
Small
Business
by
William J. Dennis, Jr.
National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation
INTRODUCTION
The United States enjoys a culture that strongly supports small
business and entrepreneurial activity. The public’s basic faith in
small business and technology, and its appreciation of the
behaviors and conditions that are essential to the operation
and prosperity of small and entrepreneurial ventures,underlie that
vitality. In fact, explicit public support for small business
appears to be an important American comparative advantage in
international competitiveness, even if smaller firms infrequently
operate in international markets.
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The data that follow reaffirm the longstanding ardor between the American public and smaller enter pr ises. They
demonstrate that the ties between American
opinion and small business as an empathetic institution and series of behaviors are
deep and broad, including those who have
limited or no exposure to ownership. They
also show that those ties are not centered in
certain economic corners,but spread broadly throughout the population. Ultimately,
the data underscores the enormously positive influence American public opinion
exerts on small and entrepreneurial firms.
WHY PUBLIC OPINION
IS IMPORTANT
The opinions the American public holds
about small business are important because
they strongly influence small-business success. They do so in at least three ways. First,
public opinion influences the number and
type of people who will eventually try to
form businesses and how often they will try.
If opinion is favorable, one can expect the
best and the brightest to select business
ownership as an occupational (and investment) choice;if opinion is not favorable,one
can expect the best and brightest to shun
business ownership in favor of occupations
(and investments) that command greater
respect and reward. The rationale for such
expected behavior is clear. People aspire to
be associated with socially - as well as economically - desirable activity. When given
the choice between a socially-desirable and
socially-undesirable task,other factors equal,
people typically will select the former. The
quantity and quality of future business owners is thereby tied to public opinion.
Public opinion also influences the formal
rules of the economic game, that is to say,
legally permissible and non-permissible
conduct,in which small businesses operate.
Opinion produces political leadership.
Political leadership, in turn, establishes the
formal rules. If small business occupies a
high position in the public’s regard, it has a
greater likelihood of being treated sympathetically by the political leadership. More
sympathetic treatment results in formal rules
that are more likely to accommodate small
enterprise. The immediate consequence is
a greater likelihood of more successful small
businesses.
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“
One can expect the
best and the brightest
to select business
ownership as an
occupational choice.
”
Third, the economic game has informal
rules stemming from prevailing frames-ofreference and social codes, rules governing
trust,permissible aggressiveness,fair-dealing,
acceptable risk,honesty and so forth. These
informal rules are critical to commerce
because they allow parties in a transaction
to communicate more effectively (than
without them) and often by-pass or minimize expensive for mal procedures.
Effectively, these codes mutually enhance
understanding of prospective business
arrangements and provide shorthand for
parties to a bargain. The practical, formal
result is lower transaction costs. Small-business owners benefit particularly from lower transaction costs because they typically
fare better in a more fluid, less bureaucratic
environment. Public opinion provides
the basic framework within which these
rules develop. The more pervasive and
accepted the informal rules, the more that
small business can accomplish without
resorting to the rigid and most expensive
types of transactions.
The importance of public opinion to
small business argues that small business
should periodically evaluate those sentiments. The Public Reviews Small Business
is the third time in the last 20 years an NFIB
affiliate has undertaken and published such
an assessment. The first was conducted in
1986 followed by a similar document in
1997. The documents are not, however,
directly comparable as they explore different aspects of the same phenomenon. But
they exhibit a consistent theme throughout:
small business is highly popular among the
American public and can count on support
from all demographic groups.
PUBLIC ASSESSMENT OF
CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED
WITH SMALL BUSINESS
Considerable folklore has developed over
the years regarding the characteristics and
attributes of small-business owners and their
firms. Most of it has elements of truth, at
least anecdotally. But whatever its veracity,
the stories and tales which comprise it create an image in the public mind that helps
define a national small-business profile. The
critical point for current purposes is that
public evaluation of each aspect of the smallbusiness owner character or small-business
owner behavior appears to lead toward an
empathetic evaluation of the overall phenomenon.
ONE OF THE BEST WAYS
TO GET AHEAD
Risk has always been inherent when
forming a business,but people starting ventures are typically loaded with optimism.
They see opportunity in starting a business,
and opportunity as a chance to get ahead.
Americans often express faith in business
ownership and/or education as key to their
success and that of their children.
Two-thirds (66 percent) of the population
believe that owning a business is one of the
best ways to get ahead in the United States;
38 percent believe it strongly. Thirty-one
(31) percent take the opposite view with 10
percent holding it strongly.
Minorities are most apt to see business
ownership as an avenue of opportunity.
Eighty-one (81) percent of minorities and
81 percent of those who said “other” or
refused racial classification claim that business ownership is one of the best ways to get
ahead. A comparatively slim 62 percent of
the majority population express the same
opinion.
One possible reason for the comparatively low majority population number is
risk. Opportunities in business are great,
but there is also the potential for loss,
including wasted time on a break-even
venture. The balance therefore may not be
obvious, particularly when alternatives are
plentiful. Those with household incomes
over $75,000 are also less likely to think
that business ownership is one of the best
ways to get ahead. The group has high
opportunity costs reinforcing the
risk/reward explanation.
Owners, the alumni, and almost-owners
express relative enthusiasm for the opportunities involved. However, 60 percent of
the not-exposed, the most distant relationship to ownership, also believe owning a
business is one of the best avenues for success in the United States.
The survey captured a tangential perspective on business ownership as opportunity. There are two primary motivations for
business entry: the first involves the person
who forms a business because he/she wants
to create an enterprise (opportunity). The
second involves the person who enters
because he/she has no better alternative
(necessity) than to go into business. The survey asked respondents whether they believe
most people go into business because they
really want to, or because they have no better job prospects.
Eighty-two (82) percent believe that most
people go into business because they want
to form their own enterprise, compared to
15 percent who believe most people enter
because they have no better alternative.
These proportions generally parallel the
proportion of Americans who say that they
enter due to opportunity rather than necessity. Seemingly, the American public has a
realistic grasp on basic motivation for forming businesses.
Distance from ownership has no relationship to one’s view of business ownership
as primarily opportunity- or necessity-driven. However, household income is strongly tied. Ninety-one (91) percent of those
with household income of $75,000 or more
believe that business entry is primarily
opportunity driven; 75 percent of those in
households with less than $25,000 believe
it. A gap is reasonable given the relative
opportunities of each group. The surprise
in this data is not the difference in perspective by income, but that the difference is
so small.
INDEPENDENCE AND CONTROL
Many people form their own businesses
to have greater independence and exercise
more control over their lives. Whether or
not they actually achieve the goal they set
out to achieve is debatable. Most successful business owners would probably argue in
the affirmative,but the responsibilities associated with ownership consume owners in
ways that most people cannot appreciate.
Still,72 percent of Americans say that smallbusiness owners have more independence
and control over their lives than do those
who work for other people. Forty-four
(44) percent believe that strongly.
Owners most frequently think that they
have more independence and control than
wage/salary workers (85 percent and 58
percent strongly). Others are more skeptical. Employees of small businesses are the
least certain. Just 67 percent of employees
judge that owners have more independence and control and only 35 percent
believe it strongly. While a healthy majority still agree that their employers have more
independence and control over their lives
than they do, employees appear to notice
things that others do not.
Minorities accept the independence and
control characteristic as an attribute of smallbusiness owners most frequently. More than
80 percent of minorities and non-classified
races say that owners have greater independence and control over their lives than
people who work for others. The majority population is less frequently certain with
only 70 percent believing that owners have
greater independence and control.
“
Two-thirds (66 percent)
of the population
believe that owning a
business is one of the
best ways to get ahead
in the United States.
”
JOB SECURITY
Job security concerns many Americans. A
less secure job is generally viewed less favorably than a more secure job, other factors
equal, and maybe not even then. However,
new businesses are noted for their rapid
turnover. In that sense, business ownership
offers little job security, though job security undoubtedly increases as the business
ages. The survey first pitted business ownership against one of the more secure positions in the country, that is to say, a federal
government employee. It then pitted business owner job security against what formerly, but no longer, is a source of very
secure jobs, a large firm.
Seventy (70) percent of Americans believe
that small-business owners have less job
security than do federal employees; 18 percent believe that they have more job security, and 9 percent believe they have equal
amounts. The public sees greater security in
federal employment,though given the reputation of each, the results are closer than
would have been expected.
One possible explanation for the closerthan-expected result is the basic confidence
of business owners in their ability to control situations, and hence an increase in job
security. Still, owners and the alumni hold
views similar to the public’s. The outlying
group is the not-exposed. It is just 33
percent more likely to believe federal
employment is more secure than selfemployment compared to 52 percent for
the entire population.
For three groups the job security issue is
different than for their counterparts.
Employees of government and non-profit
organizations are more likely than other
employee groups (66 percent compared to
51 percent among the population) to
believe that the federal government is the
more secure employer. Minorities and others/those refusing racial classification more
frequently see it the other way. They still
believe federal employment is more secure,
but by a 15 percentage point smaller margin than the public. The reason for these
divergent views is not obvious.
The public is less certain about relative job
security when comparing small-business
ownership to employment in large businesses. Forty-eight (48) percent think that
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people working for large firms have greater
job security than small-business owners; 32
percent think small-business owners have
greater job security. No evidence exists to
indicate whether or not the relative numbers have changed over time. Still, it is difficult to believe that the relative fortunes of
large and small business have not gone
unnoticed by the public.
Distance from ownership is directly and
strongly tied to opinion regarding relative
job security. Owners are 12 percentage
points more likely to believe that they have
greater job security than wage and salary
workers in large businesses. The alumni
more often believe that wage and salary
workers in large firms have
more job security, but only by a
5 percentage point (-5 percent)
margin. However, small business employees see the relative
job security of their bosses even
more pessimistically. They produce a -17 point divide. The
not-exposed, the group most
distant from ownership,expands
the gap to -30 percentage
points. Thus, perceived job
security in business ownership is
highly sensitive to personal association with ownership, higher
here than on any other dimension in the survey.
Owner comparisons with federal employees and wage-salary
workers in large businesses produce dissimilar results. Distance
from ownership appears to have
no influence in the federal
employee comparison, but considerable influence on the big-business
worker comparison. That difference may
reveal more about what owners and associated groups think of the two employer sets
than what the public thinks about small
business. People closest to ownership seemingly believe that the federal workforce is an
inert mass possessing enviable job security.
The public believes that as well, at least
compared with owners. It appears to regard
employment in larger firms the same way,
though not to the extent of the federal
workforce. Curiously, people currently
employed in large firms have a similar outlook for their job security as do those
14
employed by small business, government,
etc. But owners and, to a lesser extent, the
alumni disagree. What is not clear is why
they disagree. Do they disagree because
they see more job security in ownership or
less security in big business employment?
RISK
Job insecurity is not the only risk business
owners encounter in forming and operating a business. They frequently go into debt
and have those debts personally collateralized. Even if they can avoid debt, the time
and effort invested in a business are costs that
can be easily lost in an unsuccessful venture.
So,besides the upside opportunity,the own-
er must recognize the downside risk.
The survey defined risk for the respondent and asked whether starting a business
is typically risky. The question read: If I
define risk as losing all the money and time
invested,do you believe that starting a business typically is: very, somewhat, not too, or
not at all risky? Note the question references only the amount invested, not all
wealth - one’s home, etc.
Virtually everyone believes that starting
the typical small business is risky if risk
means losing one’s time and money. Fortythree (43) percent term starting a venture
“very” risky. Fifty-three (53) percent say
that it is “somewhat”risky. That puts 96 percent on the risky side. Three percent opine
that it is not too risky,and 1 percent say that
it is not at all risky. The facts do not bear out
the degree of concern. Most ventures are
break-even to modestly profitable. Few
involve substantial loss (and few, but a larger number, substantial gain).
Distance from ownership is not related to
perceived risk. No demographic group
assesses risk differently from others. The
belief that business ownership involves substantial risk is a common theme throughout
the population.
BANKRUPTCY
Business bankruptcy is always
possible. As a practical matter
however, business bankruptcy as
opposed to business closure
occurs infrequently. But it has
almost become legend that entrepreneurs going bankrupt is typical and bankruptcy is even a
useful experience.Such nonsense
has absolutely no foundation in
fact. Still,it is true that Americans
are forgiving of bankruptcy.
The survey presented bankruptcy to respondents for evaluation in a moral tone,rather than
in terms of economic loss. It
asked respondents:Which better
describes your view of someone
who starts a business and goes
bankrupt in it? Has the business
owner been irresponsible and
hurt people? Or,has the business
owner made a good faith effort
and things didn’t work?
Overwhelmingly, the public believes that
bankruptcy stems from good faith efforts.
By an 87-13 percent margin, Americans
choose to view business bankruptcy in the
forgiving manner.
Owners appear marginally less,not more,
forgiving than others. The rising number of
personal bankruptcies probably means that
they far more frequently see the creditor side
than the debtor side of the problem. Men
are twice as likely as women to term a business bankruptcy irresponsible. And,the least
educated are three times as likely (17 percent) to call one irresponsible as the most
educated (5 percent). But on balance even
the most critical groups consider bankruptcy the result of bad fortune rather than
irresponsibility.
HARD WORK
We all work hard, or at least like to think
so. Part of the small-business lore is that
owners work harder than other people.
They are the first to arrive at work in the
morning and the last to leave at night. Work
on weekends and evenings is expected,particularly in the formative years. No view of
small business is more pervasive,though the
empirical evidence is sketchy.
Ninety-two (92) percent of Americans
say that small-business owners work harder than people like themselves (owner
responses not included in the tabulation).
Fifty-seven (57) percent strongly believe
that they do. Few disagree. Even people
who have no association with ownership,
the not-exposed, think owners work harder than people like themselves (88 percent). Ninety-five (95) percent of the
alumni concur.
Small-business-owner hard work is
another view held broadly by all segments
of society. No group believes that small
business or people like themselves work
harder than owners. However, the most
educated and those with the highest household incomes are about 10 percentage
points less likely to strongly agree and 10
percentage points more likely to simply
agree than others. These are mostly successful people themselves and apt to believe
that they, too, work very hard.
Part of the response is predictable. Those
outside the labor force are most likely to
attribute harder work to owners. Still,even
among the employed, the response is overwhelming. Ninety (90) percent of
employed people feel that way.
CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY
Contributing to the community is a
large part of the persona of many successful business owners. They adopt leadership
positions in organizations, contribute
financial and moral support to local drives
and charities, and generally promote community welfare.
Eighty-three (83) percent of Americans
believe that local owners contribute more
to the betterment of their community than
people like themselves. However, just 30
percent say that they contribute much more
(owner responses not included in the tabulation). That 30 percent represents the
fewest in the superlative category on any of
the assertions evaluated about small-business
owner behavior.Still,more than four in five
attribute to small-business owners a greater
contribution to their community than their
peers, while 13 percent believe people like
themselves are the greater contributors.
Again, some groups, in this case government/non-profit employees, are somewhat
less inclined to agree strongly than others.
But they are more likely to simply agree
meaning the distr ibution between
agree/disagree is remarkably similar across
groups. The group most likely to strongly
agree with the assertion is small-business
employees. It is also the group in the best
position to make a comparison.
TAKE-HOME PAY
Despite the fact that many small-business
owners do not maximize their income
potential when owning/operating a business, take-home pay (profit) is important.
The question is how much do owners earn
and keep. Available statistics indicate a different pattern for self-employed people
than for wage and salar y owners.
Effectively, the bell-shaped curve of the
earnings distribution for the self-employed
is flatter on top compared to wage and
salary workers with bulges on the ends for
those who do very well and those who
earn nothing.
The public has no consensus view on
small-business owner take-home. A slim
plurality (36 percent) thinks that a typical
small-business owner working full-time in
his or her business takes home less money
than the typical full-time wage and salary
worker. Meanwhile 30 percent think wage
and salary workers take home more money than owners and 29 percent think they
take home similar amounts.
Perspectives vary considerably by the
demographic characteristic of the persons
making the evaluation. Those with higher income are much more likely to believe
owners’ take-home is more than wage and
salary workers, and vice versa. In contrast,
women and older people believe owners
typically take home less.
“
…people starting
ventures are
typically loaded
with optimism.
”
OVERVIEW
The American public not only holds
small business in high regard as an institution, but thinks very much like owners on
fundamental issues involving business
ownership and operation and the personal behaviors necessary for success. Yet,
general consensus on fundamental questions is an inadequate representation of
the overlapping perspectives. There is a
more important point. The shared understandings also contain heavy doses of
approval and respect. For example, there
exists overwhelming agreement that owners work harder than most of us; the
implicit extension of that opinion about
hard work is - and that’s good - an
admirable character trait. The public and
owners see bankruptcy from the same perspective, at least as framed here. Both
largely agree that business bankruptcy is
more frequently the result of matters
beyond an owner’s control rather than
irresponsible actions; that makes a bankrupt owner a sympathetic rather than contemptible person. Both also think that
people go into business because they want
to rather than because they have no better prospects. That means owners are affirmative, action-or iented winners - a
favorable image to portray. Thus, the
shared views about smaller firms, and
implicit positive connotations that are
almost always present, arguably
produce a public affinity that continually
reinforces itself.
15
CONCLUSIONS
Small business is highly regarded by an
American public that believes smaller enterprise is a positive influence on the way
things are going in the country today and
should have more influence over its course.
Virtually no institution receives parallel, let
alone superior support and/or empathy.
The tie between favorable public opinion
and small enterprise has a long tradition in
the United States,and that tradition appears
unusual, if not unique, in a world context.
The salient question is why should that be?
One likely reason for the close relationship between American public opinion and
smaller enterprise is that so many members
of the public are associated with it. About
one in four Americans has been selfemployed at some point in their careers;over
half have had some type of direct association
with private business ownership and operation. Another huge segment has ties
through personal friendships or employment in small firms,particularly friendships.
Only about 15 percent of the population
have not been exposed directly or indirectly to business ownership. This pervasive
exposure to ownership is very important in
creating a broad understanding, healthy
respect, and underlying support for small
business and associated behaviors. The public likely relates so well to small business
because “we are them.”
The members of the public most closely
associated with ownership, owners and the
alumni, sometimes exhibit a different perspective than those who have not been
directly or indirectly exposed to ownership.
In those instances, the former tend to
demonstrate greater empathy for the smallbusiness phenomenon. However, groups
between the extremes on the distance from
ownership continuum, including personal
friends and small business employees, typically congregate with owners. That leaves
the not-exposed group as an outlier. But
even then, the not-exposed group’s differences from owners are typically matters of
degree rather than of kind.
Broad exposure to ownership is likely
associated with the minimal difference in
public views on small business across disparate demographic groups. No demographic group seems to have captured small
business and its characteristics; they are
shared. Though owners are more likely to
be middle-aged, white males with aboveaverage education than their numeric share
of the population,approval and support runs
high among women, minorities, people of
all ages and so forth. Those least frequently represented (proportionally) are also the
most likely to see business ownership as an
important source of opportunity. In that
sense, the institution is open to everyone
with the subsequent effect of spreading
direct association with business ownership
to all segments of the society.
One can never dismiss the vital role smaller firms play in stimulating competition,
innovating, and producing goods and services, and the impact of their effectiveness in
these roles on public perceptions. Small
business is still fundamentally an economic
institution and will always be judged on
how well it performs those functions. But,
as long as business ownership continues to
permeate all corners of society,it will enjoy
enviable status, empathy, and consideration
because the public will implicitly demand it.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Current business ownership,prior ownership, operation of a substantial part-time
venture, engagement in concrete steps to
form a business, and/or investing in another’s business directly has exposed 52 percent
of adult Americans to business ownership.
The number exposed rises to 85 percent
when the business ownership tie also
includes personal friendship with a business
owner and working in a small business. No
more than 15 percent of the American public have not been exposed directly or indirectly to business ownership.
• A net 66 percent (positive minus negative) of Americans think that small business
exerts primarily a positive influence on the
way things are going in the country today.
Of the eight institutions evaluated,only science and technology fares better (80 percent). Colleges and universities places third
(62 percent) with the remaining five, such
as the federal government and labor unions,
lagging badly.
• A net 55 percent of the American public believe that small business has too little
influence over the way things are going in
this country today. The public is not nearly as acquiescent with any of the other sev-
en institutions assessed. A net 60 percent
think big business has too much influence.
• Ninety (90) percent of Americans would
approve if a daughter (or a son) went into
business for herself (himself). Half that number would strongly approve. Women and
minorities are the most likely groups to be
favorably disposed.
• Most Americans evaluate small business
and its operational characteristics in an
empathic manner. For example, 89 percent
characterize a business bankruptcy as a good
faith effort that did not work while 11 percent characterize a business bankruptcy as an
owner who has been irresponsible and hurt
other people. Two-thirds consider business
ownership one of the best ways to get ahead.
• Americans think small-business owners
often possess desirable personal attributes.
Ninety-one (91) percent say that smallbusiness owners work harder than people
like themselves. Eighty-two (82) percent
believe that local business owners contribute
more to the betterment of the community
than people like themselves.
• Americans typically believe that it is difficult for someone like themselves to start a
successful small business, let alone start one
and grow it into a large firm.
• The American public thinks that the
more effective way for public policy to support small-business owners is to lower government imposed barriers (59 percent)
rather than to provide direct assistance (34
percent). Current and former business
owners favor the barriers approach most
frequently while those farthest removed
from business ownership more frequently
select the direct assistance approach.
• Public opinion is pessimistic about
small-business opportunities 20 years (one
generation) from now. Just 40 percent say
that opportunities for small-business owners will be greater in 20 years than they are
today, compared to 48 percent who believe
that they will be fewer.
• All demographic groups express strong
support for small business and empathy
toward owner behaviors that allow operation of these enterprises. Distance from
ownership appears to play a modest role in
the public’s view except for the group
almost entirely removed, the not-exposed.
The group not exposed to ownership is
decidedly less positive. ■
17
ADA Professional Update
Professional Update
AFA “Rounds Up” Audiologists to Raise Money for the Au.D. MovementAFA “Rounds Up”
Audiologists to Raise Money for the Au.D. Movement, Sponsors Outreach Program for
Au.D. Students, Unveils New Website, WOW Factor at AAA Convention 2005, NAFDA
Board Welcomes Ph.D. Candidate and Announces Call For Papers
AFA Update
AFA Art Auction and Golf
Tournament at ADA 2005
Convention
The AFA is once again holding their annual fundraisers at
the convention in Savannah
this year.
The 2005 AFA Golf
Tournament is being held on
Hearing Aid returns to
Savannah for the AFA
Art Auction party.
Friday, October 28th, 2005 Shotgun start at 1:00 pm.
Duffers and experts alike are
welcome!
The Club at Savannah
Harbor is onsite of The Westin
Savannah Harbor Resort!
This impeccably maintained
course is home of the PGA
Champion’s Tour, Liberty
Mutual Legends of Golf during
2003-2006.
Mingle with friends and colleagues and help raise money
for the Au.D.!
Fee includes lunch, drinks,
19th hole party and prizes, etc.
The fun is free!!!
See fliers in your registration
18
packet to sign up or contact the
Audiology Foundation of
America at 765-743-6283 or
by e-mail at info-afa@audfound.org.
The 2005 Audiology
Foundation of America Art
Auction is scheduled for
Thursday, October 27th at
5:15-7:15 pm in the Harbor
Ballroom.
There will be a free cocktail
party and once again,live music
by Hearing Aid!
Unique,elegant and interesting items will be auctioned live!
Funds raised
will support
the Au.D.
movement!
Come join
the fun!
We need art
donations! To
donate an
item, please
contact Dr.
Christine
Ulinski at 708-202-8387,EXT
21002 or the AFA office at 765743-6283; info-afa@audfound.org.
ADA Exhibits at AAA
Convention
The AAA convention represents an opportunity for ADA
representatives to answer member’s questions, participate in
NAFDA activities, meet with
other association and vendor
leaders and to begin preparing
for the Fall Convention in
Savannah, Georgia. Craig
Johnson, ADA’s President,
received an award from NAFDA for serving on their advisory board. He also spoke at the
NAFDA luncheon for the 3rd
year students where he
reviewed the history of ADA
spoke about their responsibility
to advance the profession to
improve patient care and access
to services.
The AAA convention is the
Professional
Update
audiologist, Dave Burnell, representative from Smith Bucklin
(ADA’s new management
fir m), Lar ry Englemann,
Convention Chair, Larry Eng,
and Craig Johnson,represented
ADA at the Convention. They
were also assisted by three first
From left to right: Larry Eng, ADA Board member, Susan Williamson, staff
audiologist and Dave Burnell, representative from new management firm of
SmithBucklin.
First year Au.D. students volunteer at ADA Exhibit while their professor and
AAA ‘05 Convention Chair, Catherine Palmer visits. From left to right: Kelly
Schnoor, Melissa Tamres, Melissa Friedman, and Catherine Palmer
official beginning of ADA’s
effort to announce the availability of exhibit space and
sponsorship opportunities to
vendors. Susan Williamson,staff
year Au.D. student volunteers
from the University of
Pittsburgh, Melissa Tamres,
Kelly Schnoor, and Melissa
Friedman.
Professional Update ADA
Now Online: The
American Academy of
Audiology Store Makes
Shopping a Snap!
Drum roll please.... The
Amer ican Academy of
Audiology proudly introduces
our new online Academy Store!
With just a few simple clicks of
your mouse,you can now order
all your favorite marketing and
educational tools as well as cool
logo apparel and Audiologyrelated gifts utilizing our secure
server.
You can access the store by
visiting www.audiology.org and
selecting the Academy Store
link on the left-hand side menu
of our home page. (Academy
members will want to sign in
with an Academy ID and e-mail
address to receive special member-only discounts.) Then you
can start shopping for apparel
and gifts or marketing/educational tools. Just select the
amount and/or size and it will
appear in your shopping cart.
Choose a method of payment,
click “submit” and voila, your
order has been completed. Be
sure to print out the confirmation page for your records.
The store has a wide variety
of brochures, CDs and marketing kits, as well as hats, t-shirts,
mugs and AAA Foundation
note cards and Better Hearing
wristbands. Now you can take
care of all of your audiology
shopping needs – day or night!
patients have in common with
their audiologists?
A:The worry that they don’t
know what to do about the
condition.
That’s where the American
Tinnitus Association comes in.
The ATA designed an easy-toaccess online course to put
immediately useful information about tinnitus - its causes,
triggers, mechanisms, medical
and audiological evaluations,
treatments, alternative approaches, coping techniques,
and current research - directly
into the hands of hear ing
health professionals.
Self-paced and completely
online, the course lets audiologists, ENTS, psychologists,
RNs, and other healthcare
providers chat weekly with
instructors and each other, use
a special Course message board,
and take weekly quizzes to earn
CEUs offered through the
Amer ican Academy of
Audiology (1.6 CEUs).
Comments from past Course
participants:
“I feel much more confident
in being able to support and
counsel my patients.”
“The faculty was greatly
knowledgeable. I appreciated
their expertise.”
“I would not hesitate to recommend this course to my colleagues.”
The next course dates for
Tinnitus Treatment and
Management - ATA’s Course
for Professionals:
October 3- October 28, 2005
and
January 16-February 10, 2006
ATA Designs Online
Tinnitus Course
Be positive, informed, and
confident with your tinnitus
patients!
Q: What do most tinnitus
Instructors: Dhyan Cassie,
Au.D.; Norma Rivera Mraz,
Au.D.; James A. Henry, Ph.D.;
Michael Seidman, M.D.; Carol
Bauer, M.D.; and Cheryl
McGinnis, M.B.A.
Course Fees:
$150 - ATA Member
$185 - Non-ATA-member (in
the U.S.)
$200 - Non-ATA member
(outside U.S.)
Class size is limited to 20, so
register early.Online or mail-in
registrations are available.
For a more detailed syllabus,
chat dates and times,and to register, visit: www.ata.org and
select Professional Course. For
more information, contact
Barbara Tabachnick Sanders,
ATA Director of Education, at
800-634-8978 ext. 216, or barbara@ata.org.
Phonak U 2005: August
11-13, 2005
Phonak U will be held in
Warrenville, Illinois (a Chicago
suburb) at Phonak’s US
Headquarters. Last year, over
160 doctoral students from
more than 30 Au.D. programs
participated in the meeting,
and this year proves to be
even better!
Resident and Guest faculty
include Drs. Richard and
Patr icia Gans, Robert
Sweetow, Paul Pessis, Alan
Frient, Ron Gleitman, and
Catherine Palmer. Students
had the opportunity to “customize” their learning experience by selecting from a wide
variety of lectures and “handson” workshops.
Topics include:
- Hearing aid selection &
fitting
- Aural rehabilitation
- Reimbursement
- Practice development
-Vestibular diagnosis & treat-
ment and many more!
In addition, participants will
have the opportunity for
“hands-on” experience with
real-ear measurement equipment, hearing aid programming, and FM devices.
Participants will have the
opportunity to assemble, modify and repair hearing aids and
see firsthand how digital hearing aid shells are made.
To be eligible for participation, students must be enrolled
at a residential AuD program.
Resident faculty include:
David Fabry, Ron Gleitman,
Liz Brassine,Ann Foppe, Chas
Kuratko, Jodi Sasaki, Melissa
Pacey, and other Phonak staff.
Guest faculty include: Drs.
Richard Gans, Paul Pessis,
Robert Sweetow, Pat Gans and
Catherine Palmer. There will
be plenty of opportunities for
interaction with course faculty and fellow Au.D. students
from across the United States.
“Full Steam
Ahead”
October 26-29, 2005
Savannah,
Georgia
19
H A V E YO U H E A R D T H E L A T E S T
“BUZZ” ABOUT PHONAK?
With legendary astronaut and Savia™ wearer, Buzz Aldrin,
Phonak Hearing Systems is on a mission to help hearing professionals
meet every hearing loss, lifestyle and budgetary need of their patients.
1- 8 0 0 - 7 7 7 - 7 3 3 3 o r v i s i t w w w . p h o n a k - u s . c o m
BUZZ ALDRIN, APOLLO 11, is wearing Phonak’s Savia
If you believe Phonak is the leader in FM, BTEs and Pediatrics, you’re right.
But it doesn’t stop there. Over the past five years, as an industry innovator, Phonak has:
• Launched more than 12 innovative hearing
aid product lines, at all price levels, from
CIC to BTE, including Savia and mini
Valeo™ in 2005.
• Received five awards for superior product
design, quality and technology, including
the 2005 Medical Design Excellence Award
for Savia.
• Provided unsurpassed hearing-in-noise
benefit in ITC to BTE hearing aids and
advanced the AudioZoom™ tradition with
Savia’s 20 channel digital SurroundZoom™.
• Invested millions to create awareness and
educate Americans about hearing health
through consumer advertising, public
relations and promotions.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that Phonak is on a critical mission to reach more
of the hearing impaired market than ever. Join us.
To learn how you can bring “The Buzz” to your office with customizable marketing programs,
visit phonakpro.com or call us at 1-800-777-7333 for details on our full-line product offerings.
Feature Ear Candling
Why Ear
Candling
Is Not A
Good Idea
by
Lisa M.L. Dryer, M.D.
22
Ear Candling Feature
Editors Note: We have all been
asked about this from our patients.
The following is an excellent piece
to hand out to those patients who
inquire about ear candling.
“Ear candling,” also known as auricular
candling or coning, refers to various procedures that involve placing a cone-shaped
device in the ear canal and supposedly
extracting earwax and other impurities
with the help of smoke or a burning wick.
The procedures supposedly create a lowlevel vacuum that draws wax and other
debris out of the ear canal. Some proponents even claim that impurities are
removed from the inner ear, the facial
sinuses, or even the brain itself, all of which
are somehow connected to the canal.
Proponents claim that candling can:
• relieve sinus pressure and pain
• stop tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• cleanse the ear canal
• help TMJ pain and stiffness
• improve hearing
• relieve vertigo
• assist lymphatic circulation
• fortify the central nervous system
• regulate pressure
• clear the eyes
• purify the mind
• purify the blood
• strengthen the brain
• act as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic,
or antibiotic
• relieve pain and fever associated
with a ruptured eardrum
• cure Meniere’s syndrome
• cure swimmer’s ear and other infections
• aid sinusitis
• release blocked energy
• relieve earaches
• reduce stress and tension
• act as an alternative to “tubes put in
your ears”
•cure auricular zona (a herpes zoster
infection of the ear)
• sharpen the senses of smell, taste,
• open and align the chakras and color
perception
• open the spiritual centers and cleanse
the auric bodies
• stabilize emotions
PRODUCTS AND PROCEDURES
Most ear candles sold in the United
States are manufactured here or in Canada
and retail for between $2 and $10. They
can be made of linen or cotton (often
unbleached, as practitioners claim that
chlorine is bad for the ears) soaked in wax
or paraffin and allowed to harden.
(Ironically, one manufacturer uses only
pure beeswax, claiming that paraffin is carcinogenic.) Some candles are colored,
which is controversial in ear-candling circles, though the color of pure beeswax
varies. Home varieties include wax-soaked
newspaper and cones of pottery into which
herbal smoke is blown. Some waxes contain herbs or other substances, including
sage, chamomile, rose, rosemary, burdock
root, osha root, periwinkle, jojoba, quassia
bark, yucca root, or honey.
Most instructions direct the person
undergoing the procedure to lie on his or
her side. A collecting plate is placed
above the ear, and the candle is inserted
through a hole in the plate and into the ear
canal. The candle is lit, and as the wick
burns down, it is often trimmed. Some
advocate using a toothpick to maintain a
hole in the top of the hollow candle
throughout the procedure. After the candle is blown out and removed, a cotton
swab is used to gently remove visible
earwax from the ear, and “ear oil” is
often applied.
WHY CANDLING CAN’T WORK
Since wax is sticky, the negative
pressure needed to pull wax from the canal
would have to be so powerful that it
would rupture the eardrum in the
process. However, candling produces no
vacuum. Researchers who measured
the pressure dur ing candling of ear
models found that no negative pressure
was created. The same investigators
candled eight ears and found that no ear
wax was removed and candle wax was
actually deposited in some of them!
DANGERS REPORTED
Candling poses several dangers, the most
serious of which involve burning caused
by the hot wax. Candle manufacturers
claim that their candles will drip only
down the outside of the ear, but shamefully few direct the user to hold the candle horizontally to prevent this. A 1996
survey of 144 ear, nose and throat physicians, found that 14 had seen patients who
had been harmed by ear candling, including at least 13 cases of external burns, seven cases of ear canal obstruction with
candle wax, and 1 perforated eardrum.
Another case was reported by the
London Free Press, a Canadian newspaper.
A woman who experienced stuffiness in
the nose and ear pains while scuba diving
went to a local health-food store and was
referred to a “qualified” candler. During
the “treatment,” she felt an intense burning in her ear. At the emergency room,
attempts to remove wax that had dripped
from the candle onto her eardrum failed.
Surgery was required, and a hole in her
eardrum was discovered,which presumably
was caused by the procedure. She recovered fully, and luckily her hearing was not
affected. The practitioner apologized,
compensated the woman,and stopped performing ear coning.
Alaska Fire Marshall Gary L. Powell has
reported two instances of significant fires
associated with ear candling, one of which
led to the user’s death. On January 27,
2005, a 59-year-old woman ignited her
bedding when she dropped an ear candle
that she was attempting to use in the ear
without any assistance. The candle ignited the bedding and quickly spread to curtains and other combustibles in the room.
The woman did escape but suffered an
asthma attack and died in a hospital emergency room
REGULATORY ACTIONS
Candles marketed with health claims are
classified by the FDA as medical devices. As
such, they are illegal to market without
FDA approval, which none of them have
at this time. ■
23
The Westin
Savannah
Harbor
Golf Resort
And Spa
October 26–29
24
2005 ADA Advance Program ADA
2005 ADA Convention Advance Program
ll aboard for the 2005 ADA Convention! On
behalf of the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists,
we invite you to attend this premier event at the
Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa,
October 26-29, 2005, in Savannah, Georgia.
Themed “Full Steam Ahead,” this year’s convention will
set sail as the hearing industry’s top educational and
networking opportunity. This conference will provide
valuable, current information that you will be able to apply
immediately in your practice.Your office staff can also attend
the exclusive Staff Workshop to improve their skills.Attend
lectures and workshops in the following areas: business/
practice management, amplification/ALD, diagnostics/
A
treatments, legislative/professional issues and biomedical/
related professions.
Our post-convention surveys over the years have documented the value you place on the conference exhibits.This
year’s exhibit hall will feature a wide array of available products and services.The conference will also offer numerous
social events that will provide great opportunities to network
with your colleagues.
The home of the S.S. Savannah, the first steam-powered
vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean, Savannah, Georgia is the
perfect city to host our “Full Steam Ahead” conference.
Don’t miss the boat! Register now for the 2005 Academy of
Dispensing Audiologists® convention!
Schedule-at-a-Glance
Wednesday, October 26
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Registration Open
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Optional Workshops
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Exhibitor Registration Opens
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Luncheon - Workshops
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Manufacturer Training
Sessions
6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Opening Reception in
Exhibit Hall
Thursday, October 27
7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Registration Open
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Opening General Session &
Keynote
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Luncheon
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Open
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Session
3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Refreshment Break
5:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
AFA Art Auction
7:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Evening Event
Friday, October 28
7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
7:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Refreshment Break
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Lunch in Exhibit Hall
1:00 p.m.
AFA Golf Tournament
8:00 p.m.
Manufacturers’ Open
Houses
Saturday, October 29
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Breakfast
10:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Refreshment Break
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
ADA Business Lunch
2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Reception
7:30 p.m. - Midnight
President’s Banquet
*Schedule as of June 10, 2005
Keynote Speaker
Opening Session- Thursday, October
27, 2005, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Martie Ormsby-Bradbury,an experienced
corporate executive and founder of
Recruiting Solutions International (RSI),
has a well-deserved reputation as a visionary,
strategist,highly skilled motivator and effective long-range planner.Throughout her 24year career,Ms.Ormsby has been committed
to achieving lofty goals as they relate to
excellence in service,personnel and the field
of audiology and hearing healthcare. In
1995, the Academy of Dispensing
Audiologists recognized Ms.Ormsby’s contributions to the field by presenting her the
“Audiology Awareness Award.”
In her keynote address, Ms. OrmsbyBradbury will provide an informative,entertaining and inspirational look at the
profession of audiology.With both an industry insider and outsider point of view,she will
help attendees see the hearing healthcare
industry and the audiology profession
through various eyes, ears and languages.
The goal of this presentation is to remind
attendees why they chose this particular profession and to examine the path we must all
embrace today to advance the field of audiContinued On Next Page
ology in the future.
25
ADA 2005 ADA Advance Program
Wednesday, October 26
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Workshop 1 Getting Your Financial Life in Order
Joseph K. Kiely, Ph.D.
The objective of this hands-on workshop, customized to the economical concerns of the audiologist business owner and non-owner
employee, is to help you better understand the
importance of preparing for and managing a
secure financial future.
Dr. Kiely uses a simple, proven, step-by-step
approach to managing your financial future. In
an unbiased manner, he untangles the maze of
investment alternatives to illustrate how to
establish and monitor a financial plan and an
investment portfolio. This workshop will teach
you how to examine and document your current
financial position, then re-align and take control
of your future based on your unique situation
and goals.
Workshop 2 - Cerumen Management
A.U. Bankaitis, Ph.D.
Dispensing audiologists provide a variety of
services that require the patient’s ear to be relatively free of cerumen. Cerumen removal represents an essential element to the overall
hearing health care management process.
The objectives of this workshop are to review
pertinent ear canal anatomy and pathophysiology of cerumen, present standard instrumentation for cerumen removal, and to address
professional issues related to cerumen management including reimbursement and licensure. You will be able to identify specific
techniques and strategies for removing cerumen, describe instruments and/or equipment
associated with each technique, and outline
activities for which infection control protocols
must be implemented during cerumen management procedures.
Workshop 3 Auditory Electrophysiology in Audiology
Today: Clinical Applications in Adults
James W. Hall, III, Ph.D.
This workshop reviews current applications of
different auditory electrophysiology techniques
for diagnosis of auditory dysfunction in adults,
including electrocochleography (ECochG), neurodiagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR),
auditory steady state response (ASSR), and cortical auditory evoked responses.
26
Participants will be able to explain the rationale for application of auditory evoked responses
in adult patient populations and construct a neurodiagnostic ABR test protocol and then record,
analyze and interpret ABR findings efficiently for
the auditory assessment of adults. Participants
will also be able to describe the advantages and
disadvantages of ASSR in specific patient populations and integrate cortical auditory evoked
responses in the diagnostic assessment of adults
at risk for central nervous system dysfunction.
Thursday, October 27
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
So, Now That I Have My Au.D.,
What’s My Value?
Barry A. Freeman, Ph.D.
This session will attempt to unravel the mystery and discuss the complexity associated with
valuing an audiologist. Audiologists need to
change from the traditional mind-set of “where
can I work and how much are they going to pay
me” and move toward “where is there a good
practice opportunity for me that I can use my
knowledge and skills and maximize my revenue
producing potential.” Similarly, practitioners
and employers need to readjust their thinking
and recognize the knowledge, skills, and revenue generating opportunities of audiologists.
The session will include mechanisms to approximate the “value” of an audiologist and discussion of what all of this means to the future of
the profession. Participants will be able to
develop projections of the revenue they can
generate as a practitioner, describe the components that will generate revenue and develop
strategies to become associates in a practice
rather than employees.
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Role of Bluetooth in Hearing
Rehabilitation
Jerry L. Yanz, Ph.D.
Bluetooth is a short-range, low-power, wireless communication protocol that allows transmission of audio signals and data from one
device to another, representing an important
and revolutionary treatment tool. This course
will review the principles of Bluetooth technology, describing and demonstrating related products. As a result of this session, participants will
be able to use Bluetooth devices to solve telephonic issues for patients and to enhance other challenging listening tasks.
1:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
The Audiology Practice Lifecycle:
Strategies for Buying and Selling a
Practice
Bill Urwin, B.S.
In the hearing healthcare field, there are a
variety of methods for valuating the worth of
a full-service audiology practice. Attendees
will learn to accurately assess their practices
to analyze salability on the open market by
breaking down the business from an audiological and financial platform, generating a
value profile of the practice and positioning the
practice for the future. Key financial and performance metrics needed to analyze whether
or not to purchase an existing practice will
also be identified.
1:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Foundations of an Efficient, Compliant,
and Profitable Audiology Practice
Kim Cavitt, Au.D. candidate
This session will focus on the necessary
building blocks of an efficient, effective, and
profitable audiology private practice. These
include aspects of training and education,
computer software, human resources,
pricing, marketing, insurance contracting,
billing and reimbursement and HIPAA compliance. Participants will also learn about
outsourcing certain tasks in order to maximize
time and money, the need to have forms
and processes in place for managing day-today operations.
1:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Beyond the Cochlea and the
Semicircular Canals
Brenda Berge, Au.D
Tabitha Parent-Buck, Au.D.
This session will explore the peripheral
structures of the audiovestibular system to the
central pathways with emphasis on understanding the central nervous system and its
vast connections and functions. Explore the
locations and functions of the auditory and
vestibular brainstem nuclei as well as the connections to the cortex, cerebellum, oculomotor
nuclei, cerebellum and spinal cord. Attendees
will be able to recognize the structures of the
central auditory and vestibular pathways and
describe the neurovasculature from the vertebrobasilar system to the audiovestibular
peripheral organs.
2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Look at More Than the Audiogram When
You Treat the Elderly
Lynn Sirow, Ph.D.
This course will cover the special considerations the dispensing audiologist needs to
address when treating the elderly, including
changes in memory and learning capacity, speed
of processing, binaural interaction and integration as well as changes in visual, motor and tactile abilities. Participants will better understand
auditory processing in the elderly, how to apply
its principles to hearing aid fitting and how to
modify equipment and counseling to facilitate
hearing aid use.
2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Digital Frequency Compression
(Transposition) - Addressing the
Complexity of Hearing Loss
Wendy E. Davis, M.S.
This session will discuss the benefits and
limitations of recent trends in digital technology, focusing on three main topics: hearing loss
that falls outside the moderate range, hair cell
viability, and how these two issues affect the
speech signal in this dynamic session. Digital
Frequency Compression (transposition) will be
reviewed as a signal processing strategy using
the processing power of DSP to address the
complexity of hearing loss, maximize useable
residual hearing and access speech cues necessary to improve speech understanding.
Participants will become familiar with the concept of cochlear dead regions and the clinical
implications for hearing aid selection and fitting,
understand the differences between various
frequency compression algorithms and technologies and identify a candidate for proportional frequency compression hearing aids.
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Getting Patients to Accept and Follow
Treatment Prescriptions
Bill Urwin, B.S.
This program helps the audiologist recognize
and understand the reasons why patients do
not follow their treatment prescriptions. By
reviewing the reasons for non-compliance,
establishing methods for better understanding
and implementing these methods, the
audiologist will have the tools to better care for
their patients’ needs. This session will identify the steps of counseling a patient as well
as provide strategies for becoming more effec-
tive at solving hearing impaired problems and
helping patients to follow the Audiologist’s
prescription.
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Space and Motion Discomfort and
Agoraphobia in Vestibular Patients
Richard E. Gans, Ph.D.
Individuals who present with phobic type
responses to space and motion as well as open
areas and crowds have often been thought to
present with psychogenic dizziness, when they
may have experienced earlier acute vestibular
events and are left with a chronic uncompensated vestibulopathy condition. Attendees will
learn to differentiate between vestibular and
psychiatric disorders that cause dizziness,
accurately describe two theoretical mechanisms of space and motion discomfort, categorize patient symptoms and clinical test
findings, and list the treatment options available to this clinical population.
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Audiology Licensure Update
Kenneth Lowder, Au.D.
State licensing is at the core of the effort to
transition audiology to a doctoring profession
and to improve the quality of practice. Only a
uniform model statute that contains the impor-
tant and necessary policy features, such as
the one created by the AAA, ADA and AFA, can
advance the cause. This session will provide an
overview of the model statute and recent
changes to state licensure laws. Attendees
will better understand the proposed model
licensure law for audiology and the fundamental requirements for audiology to become
an independent doctoring profession.
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
TransEar™: Effective, Non-surgical
Approach to Treatment of SSD
Daniel R. Schumaier, Ph.D.
This session introduces TransEar™, a bone
conduction device that looks like a traditional
hearing aid but utilizes a miniature vibrator
seated in the ear canal to send amplified signals through the skull to the individual’s better
ear without surgery, bulky headpieces, or
occlusion of the “good” ear. Participants will
learn surgical and nonsurgical approaches to
treatment of single-sided deafness (SSD),
understand pros and cons of bone conduction
as a solution and describe fitting parameters
for the TransEAR bone conduction hearing aid
relative to both conductive and sensorineural
hearing loss.
27
ADA 2005 ADA Advance Program
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Implementing an Infection Control Plan
in the Dispensing Environment
A.U. Bankaitis, Ph.D., FAAA
Infection control procedures and protocols
have become a more important issue in the
scope of audiologists’ clinical practice in recent
years. With information justifying the importance of infection control, guidelines on how
to effectively implement such a program within the dispensing environment is needed. This
session will provide practical guidelines and
strategies for implementing an infection
control program, including five standard
precautions and prioritizing clinical service
scope for implementing step-by-step infection
control protocol training for clinical and administrative staff.
Friday, October 28
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Patient Satisfaction in a Changing
Industry - Managing for Quality
Brian Taylor, Au.D.
This session will explore practical and innovative ways to drive patient satisfaction while
offering several field-tested tools to measure
the savvy patient’s experience in your clinic,
such as a customer comment card. With
insights from clinical audiology and business
practice management, attendees will learn
how to recognize new consumer and industry
trends and how they impact the delivery of
hearing health care, to identify key drivers of
patient satisfaction and loyalty in the hearing
aid industry and to implement tools to
measure patient satisfaction and increase
profitability.
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
The Administration and Interpretation of
Neurological Screening Procedures
Joel A. Greenberg, M.D.
As Audiology moves to a doctoring profession, we need to further our knowledge in the
area of neurology. This session will explain
how neurological screening can be incorporated in the evaluation of patients with hearing loss
and dizziness. Participants will discuss anatomy and physiology as well as proper screening
procedures and interpretations. The session
will include case studies to help reinforce the
key concepts presented.
28
9:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Marketing to the Mature Marketplace
Don Marsh, B.A.
This session offers insight into understanding
the unique nature of the mature marketplace
(55+) and the key concepts that motivate this target market audience. As such, the session will
focus on establishing strong positioning within
the marketplace using marketing tools, including activities used for new patient acquisition,
retention marketing, and free media and
community outreach programs. Participants will
gain insight into each form of activity, their comparative strengths and weaknesses, and the
best integration for a coherent, consistent marketing campaign.
9:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Verification and Validation of LACE
(Listening And Communication
Enhancement)
Robert W. Sweetow, Ph.D.
Dr. Sweetow has combined his research
interests in amplification, management of the
tinnitus patient, neural plasticity and aural rehabilitation into the creation of an interactive,
adaptive, home-based training program called
LACE (Listening And Communication
Enhancement). Participants will gain knowledge
about how the principles of learning theory and
neuroscience can be combined into a cost effective adjunctive therapy hearing aid fitting and
audiologic counseling. Participants will also
be able to recognize emerging aural rehab programs and how they might be incorporated into
clinical practice.
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Risk Factors and Genetic Syndromes for
Hearing Loss in Newborns and Infants
Micheal Castiglione, Au.D.
Danielle Rocktaschel, Au.D.
Because newborn infant hearing screening is
becoming more universal, this session will provide an overview of risk factors and genetic
syndromes for hearing loss in newborns and
infants using case studies. A suggested protocol for newborn infant hearing screening as
well as diagnostic follow-up and monitoring
will be discussed. Attendees will be able to
establish necessary monitoring protocols, gain
an appreciation for genetics and how it relates
to the practice of audiology and recognize the
need for referrals to other professionals for
improved patient care and management.
10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Pharmaceutical Therapy CEU Course
Development
Barry A. Freeman, Ph.D.
Over 75% of ADA membership is Doctors of
Audiology who are receiving better access to
patients from third parties than at any time in
our professional history, which leads to
increased responsibility for managing the hearing and balance care of our patients. This
includes the need to understand the patient’s
pharmacologic history and its potential impact
on the auditory and vestibular systems.
Historically, education precedes government
regulators and legislative recognition of
increased patient management knowledge. The
session will provide the rationale and framework for the development of an agent therapy
curriculum for audiologists.
Saturday, October 29
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast Session: Free at Last - The
ACAE Sets Sail
Doris Gordon M.S., M.P.H.
The Accreditation Commission for Audiology
Education (ACAE) presents CAP, a new and innovative computerized accreditation program that
facilitates ease in management. An overview of
how programs proceed through the process,
retrieve national trend data and keep abreast of
accreditation requirements will be given, followed by a panel discussion and question-andanswer period with members of the ACAE Task
Force. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of the ACAE electronic accreditation process
and understand its primary benefits.
9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Integrated Directional Processing
Michael Block, Ph.D.
The top complaint of current hearing instrument wearers continues to be the inability to
understand speech when background noise is
present. Directional technology is the only
proven strategy to improve speech understanding in noise; however, only 30% of the hearing
instruments sold in 2003 were directional. This
seminar will detail directional design issues
and solutions with use, including practical fitting
considerations and counseling techniques.
Participants will be able to recognize the benefits of directional listening systems as well as
clinical situations and the proper locations for
their effective use.
9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Patient Factors and Drug Reactions
Tabitha Parent Buck, Au.D.
Henry Trahan, Au.D.
Some patients demonstrate uncommon drug
effects and may require alterations in drug dose.
The ability to understand such variations is
dependent on knowledge of pharmacokinetic or
pharmacodynamic changes in the expected
response to a drug due to various patient factors. Participants will learn to list possible
changes in drug absorption, distribution, biotransformation and elimination for pediatric and
geriatric patients and understand how drugdrug and drug-food interactions occur.
Participants will also learn to explain the importance of compliance with drug regimen and the
factors that may influence patient compliance.
9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Predicting the Future of Audiology:
Lessons from Optometry
Steve W. Henson, Ph.D.
The entrance of Baby Boomers into today’s
audiology healthcare market will lead to dramatic growth in new patients, spurring consolidation among manufacturers and retailers,
changing the competitive marketplace and
forcing changes on the audiology profession.
An understanding of markets and businesses
becomes as important as clinical skills. This
session will help audiology professionals
understand the major demographic, technological, and political changes that will impact
the audiology profession and to be prepared
to take advantage of opportunities that
will emerge.
9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Comprehensive Case History and EMR
Software in Audiology: High Quality,
High Speed and High Tech
Anita Pikus, Au.D.
Ted Wendel, Ph.D.
Effective case history information is essential in audiology, demanding comprehensive
patient medical information as well as precise
annotation, organization, secure storage and
retrieval. This session will demonstrate how to
develop and use a comprehensive case history and how technology, namely tablet PC hardware and electronic medical record (EMR)
software, offers speed and safety. Attendee’s
will learn expanded case history principles,
the review of systems, and become comfortable with syndromic perspective for intake
and referral.
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Ethical/Legal Issues in Audiology
Robert Gippin, Esq.
While there are well-defined sets of ethical
standards for audiologists, ambiguities continue to arise in applying them in the context of
statutes, regulations and case law. By examining the key ethical issues from a lawyer’s
perspective (especially concerning manufacturer relationships and patient counseling),
audiologists can resolve some of these issues.
As a result of this session, attendees will be
able to better understand the legal context of
ethical standards, apply the standards to pressing ethical problems and consider clarification
of the standards.
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
A New Definition for Modern Hearing Aids
Victor Bray, Ph.D.
New evidence challenges conventional audiology wisdom that prescription-based hearing
aid fittings, using ‘equivalent’ products, produces equivalent results. Such methodologies
will be compared and contrasted using examples from modern hearing aids. Attendees will
gain the ability to explain to their patients the
potential advantages available in modern hearing aids, incorporate decision rules beyond prescriptive-based fittings in their clinical practice
and utilize the predictive value of the AI-DI,
the A3, and the NRI.
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Integrating Emergent Technologies into
the Practice with Ease
Roger McGuire, B.A.
Successful implementation and practical use
of new, sophistictated technology devices
requires that new features, patient benefits,
and changed fitting paradigms are integrated
into an audiologist’s scope of practice. This
interactive course examines how practitioners
can improve the assessment and selection
process to systematically integrate these
devices into the practice. Participants will be
able to make insightful comparisons between
different and complex new hearing instrument
technologies, use a practical, structured
approach to select technologies to offer
patients, and integrate new technologies.
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Establishing Tinnitus and Hyperacusis
Services: Diagnosis, Treatment, Coding
and Reimbursement
Pawel J. Jastreboff, Ph.D.
Margaret M. Jastreboff, Ph.D.
“Ringing in the ears,” or tinnitus, is a common hearing disorder that is generated internally. Hyperacusis is a condition that amplifies
sounds from the environment, causing distraction and pain. Both conditions can vary in
degree from mild symptoms that can be easily
controlled, to symptoms that cause extreme
pain and discomfort. The Jastreboffs’ work has
led to the conclusion that by retraining the brain
to habituate, or ignore certain noises, patients
could eventually be free from the annoying
symptoms. The method of treatment based on
these principles is known today as Tinnitus
Retraining Therapy (TRT). Participants in this
session will learn how to establish Tinnitus
and Hyperacusis services, focusing on diagnosis, treatment, coding and reimbursement.
2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
APD: New Perspectives on Diagnosis,
Treatment and Auditory Training using
Fast ForWord (Part 1)
Maxine Young
This session will review new research on
how the CANS processes spoken language,
innovative approaches to testing for APD and
their use in a private practice, selection of the
APD test battery, how APD affects HA fittings,
use of treatment/training options successfully
implemented within a private practice setting,
and the business side of APD.
2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
The Importance of Stimulus Type and
Duration in Hearing Aid Verification
Francis Kuk, Ph.D.
In recent years, there is growing recognition
that complex stimuli are needed for verification
of nonlinear hearing aids. However, many
issues remain unresolved. What are the differences in output with the use of different complex stimuli? How should one adjust the target
for each stimulus? And, how long should each
stimulus be presented to avoid bias and artifacts? These questions have a significant bearContinued On Page 31
29
Available through Discovery’s Family of Hearing Aid Companies.
For more information call 1.800.525.7936.
ing on the verification of multichannel compression hearing aids that use longer time constants, noise reduction algorithms, and/or
adaptive directional microphones.
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Overcoming Barriers to Physician
Marketing
Richard Carmen, Au.D.
Surveys reveal that patients depend more
on physician guidance than any other single
resource. Dr. Carmen will offer an overview of
the results from his most recent pilot study,
which reveal a 5% market response with his
physician marketing program and prove how
this is one of the most affordable outreach
efforts. Participants will be able to identify specific physician marketing benefits and strategies, discuss the practicality and usefulness of
such a program in one’s practice and implement a protocol for physician marketing that will
measure outcome results.
3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion - ALDs: Good for Your
Patient, Good for Your Business
A.U. Bankaitis, Ph.D.
Mark Carter, Au.D.
William Diles, MA
This panel of experts will discuss multiple
facets of ALDs, including recognizing ALD
income potential relative to your dispensing
practice, implementing cost-effective techniques for generating ALD awareness within
the business operation of the clinical practice,
the advantages of induction loops and Tcoils
for patients, and various other strategies
for increasing awareness and providing more
benefits to the emerging market of hearing
aid users wanting seamless and automated
solutions.
*Program as of June 10, 2005
Convention Overview/
Hotel-Travel Information
Golf Tournament
Please join your colleagues for the AFA Golf
Tournament on Friday, October 28. Tee time is
at 1:00 p.m, with a shotgun start. For more
information, please contact Becky White at
(765) 743-6283.
President’s Reception & Banquet
End the conference with a bang! Be our
guest at the President’s Reception & Banquet
from 6:30 p.m. until midnight on Saturday,
October 29 for dinner and entertainment. This
will be a great time to visit with friends and network with other professionals.
AFA Auction
The AFA Art Auction will be held Thursday,
October 27 from 5:15 p.m.-7:15 p.m. For
information about the art auction or to donate
art, please contact Susan Paarlberg at (312)
743-6283.
Thursday Evening Event
ADA is planning a special event for attendees
on Thursday, October 27th at 7:30 p.m. Details
will be announced on the ADA’s web site. Mark
your calendar and plan to be there!
Travel/Hotel Reservations Info
The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa
One Resort Drive
Savannah, GA 31421
(912) 201-2000
Online:
http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroup
sWeb/res?id=0504212380&key=A0507
Fax: 1.912.201.2059
Phone: 1.800.WESTIN.1
Rates/Times
Single/Double Standard Room: $205US +
$12 per night resort fee+ taxes
$25 per additional guest (over 18 years of age)
Check-in: 4:00 p.m.
Check-out: 12:00 p.m.
ADA Exhibit Hall
As always, the exhibits will be comprehensive in their scope and will feature the latest
technology and advances in patient management and product design.
Housing Deadline
Reservations received after September 19,
2005 will only be confirmed based on availability. ADA discounted room rates are applicable
October 7-18, 2005.
Exhibit Hall Schedule
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
6:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Friday, October 28, 2005
7:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
ADA Manufacturer Training Sessions
Manufacturer training presentations offer
additional learning opportunities about product
innovations, enhancements and new services.
These sessions, hosted by exhibiting companies, will be held Wednesday, October 26 from
2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Manufacturers’ Open Houses
The evening of Friday, October 28th will serve
as an open evening for attendees to attend conference exhibitors’ open houses. Information
on these events will be provided on-site.
Airport/Ground Transportation Information
The Westin Savannah is approximately 15
miles from the Savannah/Hilton Head
International Airport (SAV). Taxi transportation
is available for a rate of $20-30 each way.
Conference Attire
Attire will be business casual for all events
except the President’s Banquet, which is a
formal event.
Continuing Education Units
ADA will apply for CEUs from the American
Academy of Audiology and the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
This educational activity has been submitted to
both organizations for approval.
If you have time to visit only
one city in the Southeast, make
it Savannah. It's that special.
– frommers.com
31
Feature Practitioner’s Corner
Self-Test
Device Helps
Market
Your
Practice
By John Diles
32
Practitioner’s Corner Feature
arPeace Technologies
was born by accident
2 years ago at Diles
Hearing Aid Center in
San Leandro, California. A 75
year old woman came into the
office for an evaluation because
of her inability to hear a
Hallmark musical birthday card
given to her at her birthday
luncheon. John Diles, not being
current on birthday card technology, asked if the card was
intended to test her hearing.
After all the confusion was sorted out, it occurred to John that
if a card can play a happy birthday jingle, then it must be able
to produce pure-tones at fixed
presentation levels.
E
John said, “I’ll never forget that day.
Being half-Ir ish and somewhat of a
gambler, I decided to pursue the development of the screener. Since I am not an
audiologist, I had been wondering how
much dispensing I had in front of me.After
30 years, I was ready for a little career
change anyhow.”
Osterhout Design Group in San
Francisco was selected as the engineering
firm for the project. Originally an electronic toy manufacturer, Osterhout Design
moved into defense contracting, designing
robotic surveillance equipment for the
U.S. government.
“We figured that if these guys were smart
enough to design rockets with highly sensitive cameras inside that detect movement
of the Taliban, they could figure out how
to build our screener. Osterhout also had
all of the manufacturing contacts that we
needed in Asia”
The screener was designed with the sole
intention of driving hearing impaired consumers into dispensing practices.Originally
conceived as a self-test device for reluctant
hearing impaired and their spouses, the
screener has been well received by physi-
cians, medical assistants, nurses and other health professionals. Although not yet
approved as a stand-alone
procedure under new
Medicare preventative
health initiatives, it is
being widely used in
conjunction with the 10
point questionnaire recommended by AAA.
“Probably the most
important aspect of our
project is the custom label
that is affixed to each
screener. It is a constant
reminder to the physician of
where he or she got the screener
and where to refer the patient that fails.
Our thermal printer creates a customized
label that won’t smear when it’s sanitized
by office staff. We can even scan practice
logos and incorporate them into the design
of the label.’
Another opportunity for referrals lays
waiting in practice patient files. “Back 20
years ago, it was rare to get a referral from
a satisfied hearing aid wearer.There simply
were not that many of them. I believe current hearing aid wearers are much more
inclined to recommend hearing aids to
friends.We feel that our screener can stimulate conversations between friends and
family members that will lead to appointments for hearing evaluations and hearing
aid fittings. If a practice hands out 100 of
our devices, all that needs to happen is one
binaural fitting for our screeners to make
financial sense. There are lots of practice
advocates out there that simply need a tool
“
The screener was
designed with the
sole intention of driving
hearing impaired
consumers into
dispensing practices.
”
in their hands. Since our battery lasts three years, there
are many opportunities for
one satisfied patient to send
in lots of friends.”
EarPeace is also venturing into consumer markets. Product testing is
currently underway in
several pharmaceutical
chains,consumer electronics retailers and music
stores. “Musicians love our
screener. I’ve had the privilege of fitting in-ear-monitors to some prominent
country artists and their backup
bands. Recently, I’ve been handing
out my screener to these artists and they are
intrigued by the concept of checking their
own hearing routinely. Most of them that
fail won’t book appointments next week,
but it may shorten that 7 year period that
they usually wait to do anything about
their hearing problem.”
EarPeace’s newest design incorporates a 3position switch (off-low-high) that allows
the user to toggle between 30 and 40 dB output.“We hope that will prompt even more
discussion about hearing loss. Our screener
certainly gives the physician or consumer a
chance to investigate the subtleties of soft
sounds and then decide whether or not to
seek further evaluation. We’d like to help chip
away at the 80% group who is reluctant to
seek help for their hearing problems.”
For more information, please visit
www.EarPeaceTech.com or call 800821-0131. ■
John Diles is a 1980 graduate of Ohio
University. He is a former Peace Corps
Volunteer, assigned to the St.Lucia School
for the Deaf. Diles familial ties to the hearing aid industry may be the longest in the
U.S. His grandfather, John Heaton fitted
his first Sonotone hearing aid in 1934
and his father,William Sr. joined Sonotone
in 1949. John owned and operated Diles
Hearing Aid Center in San Leandro,
California from 1988 until January of
this year. He is also the drummer for the
‘Steelheads’, a struggling Bay Area
country band.
33
Book Review ADA
Linda S. Remensnyder, Au.D.
Book Review:
Hearing Care for the Older Adult –
Audiologic Rehabilitation
By Patricia B. Kricos and Sharon A. Lesner
here seems to be general
consensus that the best
way for private practice
audiologists to differentiate themselves from their
competition, whether the competition be
hearing aid dispensers,corporate providers,
or ENT offices, is to provide better services-more comprehensive services for the
hearing impaired. Conducting Audiologic
Rehabilitation (A.R.) Classes provides that
market niche.
One of the most positive repercussions
of the distance learning Au.D. program on
my practice was my post-doctoral decision
to provide A.R. classes for my patients. I
believe this new service mimics the nationwide trend of other healthcare providers,
including physicians, who are attempting
to satisfy what the public perceives as good
“doctoring”—treatment of the whole
patient, not just an aspect of the patient.
Marketing surveys have revealed that
patients are flocking to alternative health
care providers precisely for this reason.
Fully thirty-six percent of adults in the
United States use some form of integrative
Book
Reviews
T
“Although this text was
published in 1995, this
comprehensive text demands
a second look due to its timeliness as the Au.D. movement
is establishing its turf.”
or complementary therapies. As Sharon
Lesner relates,instead of the audiologist just
selling a hearing aid, “programs that focus
on self-help and education also provide
attention to the psychosocial changes that
result from disabilities.”
Although this text was published in
1995, this comprehensive text demands a
second look due to its timeliness as the
Au.D. movement is establishing its turf.
This truth was born out recently when
my husband approached our banker for a
home equity loan and the banker related
that he believed my A.R. classes were the
differentiating factor that was making my
practice grow. I had never, personally, discussed this aspect of the business with him
but one of his elderly customers had
remarked that my A.R.classes constituted
a unique service that far exceeds the value
of any hearing aid I provided.
As all hearing aid users know:
The greatest enemy of people with hearing impairments is often the people who
love them most, namely their significant
others. Significant others do not have an
accurate understanding of the problems
associated with hearing loss, and they often
have unrealistic expectations of the person
with the hearing impairment and of the
hearing aids . . .Hearing aids are only a part
of the rehabilitative process. The roles of
assistive listening devices (ALD’s), audiovisual speech reception, and communication
strategies in improving communication
also need to be explored and optimized.
The authors recommend that group participation be a mandatory part of hearing
aid dispensing and they provide guidelines
in regards to suggested topics, room selection, and recommended professional-toattendee ratios. Educational techniques
such as “simplicity, redundancy, and feedback” during presentation of materials and
bonding techniques such as circulating and
mingling (“working the room”) prior to
the initial class to put attendees at ease
were discussed. Some surprising, but
mandatory, attributes of the group leader
were also defined to help pave the way
to success.
Materials (books, video tapes, audio
tapes, periodicals, computer programs, and
compact disks) for use in Audiologic
Rehabilitation of Older Adults were listed
in an appendix that was worth the price of
the book. Another appendix covering
Consumer Organizations and Public
Information Sources was also an important addition.
Chapters were devoted to such pertinent
topics as characteristics of the aging population, marketing to the elderly population, and provision of services in extended
care facilities. A truly stellar chapter on Use
of Auxiliary Aids, by Sharon Sandridge,
was invaluable and provided technical
information (i.e. side tones on telephones
and Ringer Equivalent Numbers, for
example) that I had no prior knowledge of
despite being an experienced provider
of ALD’s.
An interesting section on The Real
Financial Condition of Elderly People
explained that many of the elderly population are very adept at hiding assets and
that their “fixed” income may not be as
35
Book Review ADA
“A truly stellar chapter on
Use of Auxiliary Aids,
by Sharon Sandridge, was
invaluable and provided technical information (i.e. side tones
on telephones and Ringer
Equivalent Numbers, for
example) that I had no prior
knowledge of despite being an
experienced provider of ALD’s.”
“fixed”as they would like us to believe. No
doubt, the post publication proposed
changes to Social Security and the poor
return on investments that seems to be
occurring universally now may cause our
current target population to be a little more
skittish in 2005.
In summary, the authors note that
“although it is important to know about
the status of the person’s hearing, it is even
more important in the development of a
treatment plan to know about the person
who has the hearing loss. In fact, a guiding principle should be to determine the
strengths, capabilities,and needs of the person with the hearing impairment and not
focus only on the persons hearing status.”
My exper ience with Audiolog ic
Rehabilitation Classes is that often my
patients become so empowered that they
want to attend subsequent classes and bring
others. The patients become the best
cheerleaders for A.R. classes as the handicap of hearing loss literally becomes less
handicapping with attendance. ■
Linda S. Remensnyder,
Au.D.is a private practice
Audiologist with Hearing
Associates, P.C., located
in Libertyville,Il.She is a
regular contributor to
Feedback. In addition to her regular book
review column, Dr. Remensnyder writes on
other subjects important to the practicing
audiologist.Book review suggestions or
article comments can be sent to Dr.
Remensnyder at urhearing@aol.com.
NPI Update ADA
Your Number Is UP!
member Audiologists are
encouraged to beg in
applying for their National Provider
Identifier (NPI).The NPI will replace the
many health care provider identifiers in
use today and simplify them with one
common provider number.The NPI is
the system adopted by the U.S Department
of Health and Human Services as part of
the HIPPA act. All health care providers
that are considered covered entities under
HIPPA,those who file claims electronically
or use a clearinghouse to bill insurance, are
required to apply for an NPI.
The compliance date for this process is
May 23, 2007. After that date, only the
NPI will be used for all transactions.
Previous UPIN, and BC/BS numbers will
be eliminated, allowing the Audiologist
one single 10 digit provider number by
which to bill and track reimbursements.
Any Audiologist who transmits health
information in an electronic form would
be required to obtain and use their NPI’s.
Audiologists will be assigned NPI’s upon
successful completion of the application
form. Data elements required on the
NPI application:
ADA
• Name
• Social Security Number
• Date of Birth
• Medical License Number
• IRS Individual Taxpayer ID
• Employer Identification Number
(EIN)
• UPIN Number
• Medicare Number
• Medicaid Number
• Provider taxonomy code (this is a 10digit number that corresponds with
your CMS Specialty code.The code for
audiologists is 231H00000X)
The application can be done through an
on-line process, or by a paper application.
For additional information, to complete
an NPI application, and to access educational tools, visit https://nppes.cms.
hhs.gov/. Paper applications may not
be submitted until July 1, 2005. You
may complete a paper application and send
it to Fox Systems. The phone number
is 1-800-465-3203 or TTY 1-800-6922326. ■
37
ADA President’s Message
ADA exhibited at the AAA Convention
in April. Susan Williamson, Dave Burnell (a
Smith Bucklin representative), Larry Eng,
Larry Engelmann, three Au.D. students
(Melissa Tamres,Kelly Schnoor and Melissa
Friedman), and I staffed our exhibit booth.
This was a great opportunity for us to interact with our current membership and
potential new members. This member and
potential new member interaction once
again demonstrated that our colleagues look
to ADA for practice management skills. In
addition, the AAA convention experience
was another wonderful opportunity to
interface with a wide range of manufacturers to demonstrate the value of the ADA
membership to their businesses, and to
develop sponsorship programs to best meet
our vendor needs.
The Academy in April also responded to
two issues in California. First, ADA was
requested to support the Califor nia
Academy with its opposition to proposed
legislation that would allow for over-thecounter sale of hearing aids. ADA’s opposition letter to AB-615 is listed on our
website: http://www.audiologist.org/
prof_legis_onthehill.php. The bill sponsor
has removed the bill from committee
consideration. Also in California, The
“Sacramento Bee”, a daily California newspaper, published an editorial questioning
the value of a doctorate in audiology “just
to test hearing.” The Academy’s response is
located at the same bookmark as the above
noted reference.
On April 23rd,I attended a meeting hosted by ASHA concerning reimbursement
and coding (Health Care Economics
Committee, HCEC). The purpose of the
meeting was to prepare for the first review
of physician work related to audiology codes
in five years by the American Medical
Association’s Relative Update Committee
(RUC). It is expected that the review will
begin later this year. Currently, the professions’ reimbursement is based on what is
referred to as “practice expense”. Thus,our
patient management and educational skills
are not a part of our present reimbursement. Other independent professionals are
valued in the “physician work” category.
One of the factors that is bringing this issue
to the forefront is that the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) is in the
38
process of eliminating the practice expense
category. Thus, without recognition of
“physician work”, audiologists would be
left in a precarious reimbursement position. This transition is not intended to
increase reimbursement, but rather to
maintain our present schedule of fees. The
board realizes that this is one of the most
important issues that is facing the profession,thus we will pursue this issue with our
utmost attention.
On May 18th, Susan Williamson, staff
audiologist for ADA, and I participated in
the Hearing on the Hill Day that was sponsored by the Hearing Industry Association.
This provided an opportunity to speak with
legislators about our profession.During this
event, we completed nine contacts with
legislative offices related to direct access for
Medicare (H.R.415). I am pleased to report
that one of these contacts, Congressman
Cummings (D-MD), co-sponsored the
direct access legislation on May, 26th.
Gathering co-sponsors is the key component to direct access gathering momentum
and its eventual success. You can track the
current list of co-sponsors by accessing the
following website: http://thomas.loc.gov/
cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR00415:
@@@P. The audiology profession is not a
stranger to legislative action. As you recall,
in the mid and late 90’s we worked diligently on the Federal Employee Benefit
Health Program (FEBHP). This resulted
in the successful passage of legislation in
1998. By 2000, Federal Blue Cross/Blue
Shield was the first insurance carrier that
allowed audiologists to be directly reimbursed. Since then, others have followed
such as Government Employees Hospital
Association (GEHA). These two carriers
represent over 85% of the federal employee marketplace. By working together,making contacts with congressional offices by
sending letters asking for co-sponsorship of
H.R. 415, and then calling and asking for
their support, we will achieve the goal of
direct access. A sample letter is posted on the
ADA website (http://www.audiologist.org/
prof_legis_onthehill.php) that you can personalize and then fax to your Congressional
representative’s Washington DC office.
Together, we will continue to change the
audiology landscape as it has in the last 10
years. Patient’s access to audiology services
will continue to evolve through our joint
efforts. As long as we are vigilant, our cost
effective patient management care will
be recognized by government regulators
and legislators.
Pharmaceutical Agent Therapy
CEU Course
Since last June,ADA has been investigating an agent therapy CEU course for
Doctors of Audiology. In a recent email
ADAlert message, we asked for your input
on the development of this project. We
were pleased to learn from the member survey that 94% indicated that the board should
continue to develop and pursue this educational offering.
Last year, ADA reached out to several
university programs and received the most
interest from Nova Southeaster n
University. We have met with a working
group comprised of optometrists, Nova
Southeastern faculty members, and Hany
Mikhail, an audiologist who was a practicing physician. Meetings occurred in March
and May of this year. The goal is for ADA
to develop an approved curriculum for
pharmaceutical education. It is hoped that
an ADA recommended agent therapy
curriculum will serve as the educational
model. Unlike the curriculum for the
Au.D., which is quite varied, it is ADA’s
desire to set and maintain the highest standard for agent therapy. Once ADA has
developed a model curriculum it is hoped
that other universities will also offer a CEU
opportunity. It is our vision, that this
course will parallel the educational opportunities afforded to optometr ists.
Additional knowledge regarding pharmaceuticals will allow the audiologist to better manage their patients and interact with
medical doctors concerning patient treatment. This is a vital component in the
audiologist continued development as the
manager of hearing and balance care. We
will present a session at convention concerning the agent therapy CEU course.
I look forward to welcoming you at our
2005 convention. As you can see from the
preliminary program, it is poised to be the
best ever. Mark your calendars today! Do
not miss this exciting opportunity to reinvigorate your professional career. See you
in Savannah! ■
WHEN CELEBRITIES TALK,
PEOPLE LISTEN.
If you are an Authorized Senso Diva Dispenser, you can now add the
power of celebrity endorsement to give your practice a competitive advantage.
Kit includes ads, postcards, brochures, a CD, and much more.
Call today for your new Ed McMahon marketing materials kit.
The World Leader In 100% Digital Hearing Technology TM
1.800.221.0188 • www.widexusa.com
Academy of Dispensing Audiologists®
401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60611
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