Setting Up an A/B Comparison Program

By Mandi Chambless, Au.D.

When I was dispensing hearing aids in the clinic, I often felt like making adjustments to a patient’s hearing aid was like playing a game of memory.  I would find myself busily making changes to a patient’s program and then desperately trying to remember what changes I had just made so that I could undo them to let the patient compare the new settings to the previous ones.  I quickly realized that even a sticky note could only get me so far.  Fortunately, ReSound has once again made our lives easier by providing us with a Comparison Program option.  The Comparison Program is a quick and easy way to provide your patients with an A/B comparison, all the while eliminating the guess work and memory games for you.

To create a comparison program, ensure that the patient’s hearing aids are connected to Aventa. You will find the Create Comparison option on the Fit screen directly under the hearing aid program tabs.   Make sure you are currently in the program that you want to compare and click on Create Comparison.

You will notice that all other programs are momentarily hidden from view and you will now see the desired program along with its exact copy, indicated by (Comparison) next to the program name. You can now make your desired changes to the comparison program and quickly and easily toggle back and forth between the original and adjusted program so your patient can evaluate the two.

Once you and your patient have decided on which program is desired, simply click Exit Comparison (which can also be found under the program tabs).  You will see a popup that asks ‘Apply changes from comparison program to P1 (or the number of whatever program you are comparing)?’  If your patient prefers the adjusted program, click yes. This will automatically apply the changes that you made to the comparison program to the original.  If the patient prefers the original, click no.

Remember to save your changes to the software and aids.  This small trick should eliminate a lot of the guesswork involved in making comparison adjustments for your patients.