The Hearing Matters Podcast: Hearing Aids, Hearing Technology and Tinnitus

Hearing Matters

Welcome to the #1 Hearing Aid & Hearing Health Podcast with Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS! We combine education, entertainment, and all things hearing aid-related in one ear-pleasing package!In each episode, we'll unravel the mysteries of the auditory system, decode the latest advancements in hearing technology, and explore the unique challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss. But don't worry, we promise our discussions won't go in one ear and out the other!From heartwarming personal stories to mind-blowing research breakthroughs, the Hearing Matters Podcast is your go-to destination for all things related to hearing health. Get ready to laugh, learn, and join a vibrant community that believes that hearing matters - because it truly does!

  1. 5H AGO

    Do We Even Need Hearing Aids Anymore? AirPods, OTC Hearing Aids & The Future of Hearing

    Send us Fan Mail AirPods are getting better, OTC hearing aids are easier to buy than ever, and AI is showing up in every corner of consumer audio. That leads to one of the most important questions in hearing health right now: are we watching hearing aids get replaced, or are we finally widening the front door to better hearing? I take you behind the marketing and into what actually changes outcomes. OTC hearing aids are built for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, but perception is not diagnosis. We talk through what a comprehensive audiology evaluation can uncover, why prescription hearing aids are programmed to an individual hearing profile, and how verification steps like real ear measurements turn “sounds louder” into “speech is clearer,” especially in real-world noise. We also zoom out to the human side of hearing loss: listening effort, fatigue, misunderstandings, and the quiet slide into social withdrawal. Whether someone starts with earbuds, OTC devices, a hybrid model, or professional care from day one, the mission stays the same: connection to family, friends, and daily life. If this perspective helps, subscribe, share the episode with someone you care about, and leave a review so more people find better hearing guidance. Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener.  And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most.  Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    29 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Auracast Is Here… And It Changes Everything About Hearing Aids

    Send us Fan Mail The biggest hearing aid problems rarely show up in a quiet clinic room. They show up when the phone rings, when the TV gets turned up too loud for everyone else, and when background noise swallows the words you actually need to hear. We dig into the real-world gap between “amplification” and true communication access and why so many people with hearing loss end up avoiding calls, leaning on texts, or skipping social situations altogether.  We walk through how Bluetooth hearing aids changed the game by enabling direct audio streaming. When audio goes straight into the hearing aids instead of traveling through the environment, you get a clearer signal, less competing noise, and better speech access. You’ll hear a patient story that captures the moment perfectly: a live phone call comes through and he pauses, surprised, because he’s hearing it in both ears. That’s not a convenience feature. That’s access.  From there we connect the dots to binaural streaming and why balanced sound can feel natural in a way one-sided audio never does. We also talk about personalization and control from a smartphone, the privacy of making adjustments discreetly, and the emotional weight of stigma. When hearing aids start to feel like modern tech instead of a medical label, it can be a genuine psychological unlock. We even tee up where this “origin story” leads next, including concepts like Auracast and the future of accessible audio.  If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who struggles in noise, and leave a review so more people can find it. What’s the one listening moment you wish technology solved for you? Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    8 min

  3. 6D AGO

    What Is Auracast? How Bluetooth LE Audio Is Changing Hearing Forever

    Send us Fan Mail Bluetooth shows up in our lives so often that it’s easy to miss how radical it has been for hearing aids. I walk you through why Bluetooth hearing aids aren’t just about convenience, but about access: clearer phone calls, easier TV listening, and fewer moments where background noise wins. When audio streams directly into both ears, it stops feeling like “using a device” and starts feeling like hearing again, and that can be a real psychological unlock for people who resist hearing aids because of stigma. I also get honest about the feature versus use gap I’ve seen in clinic. Just because wireless streaming, apps, and connectivity exist doesn’t mean patients use them. Setup complexity, phone compatibility, and rushed counseling can turn powerful hearing technology into unused menu options. The good news: when we bridge that translation from feature to real life, engagement rises, satisfaction improves, and patients take ownership of their hearing health with everyday adjustments and confident communication. Then we look ahead to Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast. Traditional Bluetooth is one-to-one. Auracast is one-to-many, letting a public space broadcast announcements or TV audio to unlimited listeners who can tune in with compatible hearing aids, earbuds, or a phone. Think airports, theaters, gyms, schools, and any noisy environment where listening effort is exhausting. If Bluetooth transformed the personal hearing experience, Auracast may transform the public hearing experience and redefine accessibility. Subscribe for more on hearing healthcare and hearing tech, share this with a colleague or patient, and leave a review if you want more deep dives like this. Where do you want Auracast to show up first? Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener.  And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most.  Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    29 min

  4. APR 10

    How to Get a 504 Plan for Your Child With Hearing Loss

    Send us Fan Mail If your child has hearing loss, good grades do not always mean they have full access at school. In this episode, Dana Ann Hawkins, MS, CCC-SLP, shares her family’s real-life journey navigating a Section 504 plan for her daughter after getting hearing aids. We break down what a 504 plan for hearing loss actually is, how it differs from an IEP, and why schools sometimes wrongly deny accommodations when a child appears to be doing “just fine” academically. Dana walks through the exact school accommodations that can make a difference for children with hearing loss, including preferential seating, teachers facing students when speaking, repeated directions, classroom audio support, and testing accommodations. You’ll also hear what happened when Dana was initially told hearing loss was not a qualifying medical condition, how she advocated effectively through documentation and email, and why even approved 504 plans can still fail without proper follow-through. This episode is essential for:  parents of children with hearing loss  parents navigating school accommodations  educators and school administrators  speech-language pathologists  pediatric audiologists  disability advocates Topics covered:  how to get a 504 plan for hearing loss  school accommodations for kids with hearing aids  hearing loss and classroom access  Section 504 rights for students  standardized testing accommodations  Bluetooth streaming and classroom technology challenges If you are trying to make sure your child has equal access in the classroom, this episode offers practical advice, advocacy tips, and real-world insight to help you navigate the process with confidence. Subscribe to Hearing Matters for more conversations on pediatric hearing loss, hearing aids, advocacy, and hearing healthcare. If this episode helped you, please share it with another parent or educator and leave a review. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    8 min

  5. APR 7

    Hearing Aids Are Only The Start

    Send us Fan Mail Your child can “pass” a school hearing screening and still miss huge parts of daily life. That gap is where frustration, fatigue, and quiet slipping-behind can start, even when grades look fine on paper. Your Child Has Hearing Loss. Now What? Download Dana's FREE guide for parents. Hearing aids open the door to sound. But navigating school, talking to teachers, and supporting your child at home is a whole separate journey. This free guide was created by a Speech-Language Pathologist and mom of a child with hearing loss to help you take confident next steps.  We’re joined by Dana Ann Hawkins, a speech-language pathologist and mom, who shares her daughter Emma’s journey with hearing loss, ear infections, and finally getting hearing aids. We talk honestly about the moment many families don’t expect: the hearing aids help, but they don’t magically solve noisy classrooms, fast directions, or social chaos in hallways and lunchrooms. Dana breaks down the difference between hearing in quiet and functional listening in real-world environments, plus what “total communication” really looks like at school and at home. A major part of our conversation is advocacy. Dana walks through pushing for a 504 plan, getting denied because Emma was “doing well,” and what it took to reconvene with the right team and the right understanding of how accommodations work. We also get specific about assistive technology and modern school barriers, like locked Chromebooks that can block Bluetooth streaming to hearing aids during standardized testing. If you’ve ever felt like you’re explaining hearing loss from scratch to a school system, you’ll feel seen. We also cover carryover strategies, listening fatigue, self-advocacy language kids can use, and why collaboration between hearing care professionals, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists can close the follow-up gap after a fitting. If you find this helpful, subscribe, share it with a parent or educator, and leave a review so more families can find practical support. Connect with Dana Ann Hawkins, SLP:  Instagram: Speech and Language Explained Facebook: Dana Ann Hawkins Linkedin: Dana Ann Hawkins Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener.  And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most.  Omega AI hearing aids don’t just keep up. They redefine what it means to be modern and discreet yet durable and comfortable for all-day wear. They’re waterproof, everyday-proof, and designed to go the distance of your day and then some. All while tailored to your unique hearing needs. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    45 min

  6. APR 3

    A Real Ear Measurement Workflow For Better Hearing Aid Outcomes

    Send us Fan Mail Guessing is easy. Verifying is better, and in hearing aid fittings it can be the difference between “good enough” and genuinely clear speech. We sit down with Madison Levine, BC-HIS and Dr. Dave Fabry to unpack what real ear measurement actually looks like in a busy clinic, starting with a simple question: when should you run REM, at the first fitting or later?  We share a first-fit workflow that’s built for speed: prep the room, connect devices ahead of time, set expectations the moment the patient sits down, and run verification before anything else steals the clock. Then we zoom out to the bigger “why” behind probe microphone measures, including how REM helps confirm audibility at the eardrum regardless of prescriptive targets, proprietary algorithms, or fitting software defaults.  Dr. Fabry also lays out a practical verification protocol: multiple input levels, automated REM to match targets efficiently, and the often-missed safety-and-performance checks like MPO sweeps and LDL/UCL so comfort is protected without throwing away dynamic range. We end with the uncomfortable question: if the evidence is strong, why isn’t real ear measurement universal, and what can clinicians do to remove the time, cost, and confusion barriers?  If you care about hearing aid verification, audiology best practices, and better patient outcomes, hit play, then subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review. What’s the biggest obstacle keeping REM consistent in your workflow? Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    8 min

  7. MAR 31

    Real ear measurements (REM) and best practices

    Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wondered why two “good” hearing aid fittings can feel wildly different to a patient, the answer usually isn’t the device, it’s the process. I’m joined by Madison Levine, BC-HIS and owner of Levine Hearing in Charlotte, and Dr. Dave Fabry, Chief Hearing Health Officer at Starkey, for a practical conversation about best practices in hearing health care that actually improve patient outcomes. We get specific about what belongs in a modern best-practice toolkit: strong case history and counseling, real ear measurement (REM) for verification, and speech-in-noise testing (like QuickSIN) that matches how people struggle in the real world. Dave explains his REM goals (smooth real ear aided response, three input levels, MPO sweeps, LDL/UCL) and why “hitting target” is a starting line, not the finish. Madison shares how her clinic bakes verification and outcome measures into the workflow without slowing the day down, and how data logging turns follow-ups into smarter, calmer conversations. We also dig into innovation, including how immersive sound simulation with systems like Inventis Symphonia can help demonstrate noise features, personalize settings, and validate a patient’s experience. Along the way we touch on the ear-brain connection, motivation for first-time users, and what to implement tomorrow if you can only change one thing. Subscribe for more conversations on hearing loss, hearing aids, audiology best practices, and better communication, then share this episode with a colleague and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener.  And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most.  Omega AI hearing aids don’t just keep up. They redefine what it means to be modern and discreet yet durable and comfortable for all-day wear. They’re waterproof, everyday-proof, and designed to go the distance of your day and then some. All while tailored to your unique hearing needs. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    47 min

  8. MAR 27

    What Learning Health Networks Are And How They Fix Healthcare Silos

    Send us Fan Mail Healthcare creates a paradox: we collect endless clinical data, publish important research, and still watch patients wait years for proven ideas to become routine care. We sit down with Donna Murray, PhD, to explain how Learning Health Networks (LHNs) are designed to fix that by connecting patients, families, clinicians, and researchers into a shared system that learns quickly and improves care faster. We walk through what an LHN is, why the Institute of Medicine’s vision of a learning health system matters, and how networks scale the concept across multiple organizations. Donna breaks down the core problem LHNs tackle: silos. Clinicians are on the ground delivering care, researchers are producing findings, and the bridge between them is often weak. The result is slow translation, uneven implementation, and missed opportunities to focus on the barriers patients and families say are most urgent. From there, we get practical. We talk about “data in once” and why returning insights back to providers in near real time changes clinical decision making. When outcomes can be aggregated across sites, the network can identify which interventions work best for specific subpopulations, learn from high-performing clinics, and spot patients who are not improving even when guidelines are followed. We also connect the dots to audiology and hearing care, where evidence-based practice has to compete with pseudoscience and rapid-fire health claims online. If you care about real-world evidence, quality improvement, faster adoption of best practices, and patient-centered healthcare innovation, this conversation will give you a clear framework and a hopeful path forward. Subscribe for more, share this with a clinician or researcher who cares about closing the gap, and leave a review. What’s one healthcare change you wish could spread in months instead of years? Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast Team Email: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

    10 min
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4.4
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Welcome to the #1 Hearing Aid & Hearing Health Podcast with Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS! We combine education, entertainment, and all things hearing aid-related in one ear-pleasing package!In each episode, we'll unravel the mysteries of the auditory system, decode the latest advancements in hearing technology, and explore the unique challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss. But don't worry, we promise our discussions won't go in one ear and out the other!From heartwarming personal stories to mind-blowing research breakthroughs, the Hearing Matters Podcast is your go-to destination for all things related to hearing health. Get ready to laugh, learn, and join a vibrant community that believes that hearing matters - because it truly does!

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