AudiologyOnline Phone: 800-753-2160


ReSound Smart Fit - August 2024

How do you Explain the Recent Increase in Telecoil Utilization?

Rena Appleby, AuD

June 10, 2013

Share:

Question

Why are hearing aid manufacturers seeing more and more orders for telecoils?  Aren’t telecoils old technology?

Answer

Great question –why is telecoil utilization rapidly increasing in the United States now when telecoils were first introduced into hearing aids over 60 years ago?  To begin, telecoils were initially used to improve speech understanding on landline telephones. When a hearing aid user switches the hearing instrument to the telecoil setting and places it near the receiver of a hearing aid compatible telephone, the acoustic signal coming from the speaker on the other end of the telephone is converted into a magnetic signal.  The hearing aid then converts the magnetic signal, which is free from background noise, into an acoustic signal, offering the hearing aid user an improved signal-to-noise ratio.

Telecoil use steadily declined in the 1990’s in the United States despite the fact that a more favorable signal-to-noise ratio might be expected compared to acoustic coupling to the telephone (Picou and Ricketts, 2013). This is partly explained by the fact that placement of the telephone in order to receive the signal optimally can be rather tricky. Moving the telephone receiver only 1 inch away from the optimum position can reduce output of the desired signal by 15 dB (Holmes and Chase, 1985).  However, the primary reason for fewer telecoils in hearing aids was attributed to the trend to fit less-severely hearing impaired users with smaller, custom in-the-ear aids, which did not contain telecoils due to size constraints.  In fact, in 2002, only 37% of the hearing aids dispensed had telecoils (Kirkwood, 2005).  In addition, landline phone use decreased as digital cell phones, many of which were not hearing aid compatible, were introduced into the marketplace. 

Although telecoil use declined in the United States during the 1990’s, its use was increasing at a rapid pace throughout Europe, which resulted in an expansion of its applicability and the looping of many large venues and public facilities.  When telecoils are used in these types of looped facilities, the negative effects of background noise, reverberation and distance are eliminated when sound is transmitted directly to the hearing instruments.     

The benefits of looping are finally being realized in the United States. In large part this was facilitated by the introduction of smaller, cosmetically appealing behind-the-ear hearing aids that can accommodate telecoils. As of 2009, approximately 58% (Kirkwood, 2009) of hearing aid users in the United States were fit with hearing aids with telecoils. In addition, many hearing aids users are also using digital wireless accessories that offer significant speech understanding benefit in multiple listening environments.  In part, due to the lack of a universally accepted transmission frequency, their use is currently limited in many venues in which an inductive loop can offer significant audibility benefits. 

Further, in 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set up regulations regarding hearing aid compatibility of digital wireless phones (FCC.gov).  Much of the credit of increased telecoil use is also due to the “Get in the Hearing Loop” campaign which was organized in 2010 by the Hearing Loss Association of America and the American Academy of Audiology.  These groups have been instrumental in educating clinicians, hearing aid users and the general public about the benefits of hearing loops. 

For more information, visit www.gnresound.com or the ReSound Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.

References

Holmes A, Chase N. 1985. Listening ability with a telephone adapter.  Hearing Instruments, 36:16-17.

Kirkwood, DH. 2005. When it Comes to Hearing Aids, More was the Story in ‘04. The Hearing Journal, 58(5):33.

Kirkwood, DH. 2009. Despite Challenging Economic Conditions, Practitioners in Survey Remain Upbeat. The Hearing Journal, 62(4): 28,30-31.

Picou E, Ricketts T. 2013. Efficacy of Hearing-Aid Based Telephone Strategies for Listeners with Moderate-to-Severe Hearing Loss. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 24:59-70.


Rena Appleby, AuD

Rena Appleby received her Au.D. from University of Florida and currently works in GN ReSound's Research Development with primary responsibility to conduct trials with new products before they are released to the market.

Before joining ReSound 3 years ago, Rena worked as an audiologist in hospital settings as well as industry.


Related Courses

Next-Gen Breakthroughs with Auracast Broadcast
Presented by Megan Quilter, AuD
Live WebinarThu, Feb 20, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST
ReSound

Presenter

Megan Quilter, AuD
Course: #40204Level: Intermediate1 Hour
Join us to learn more about the Auracast Revolution. This course provides an in-depth exploration of Auracast technology and its transformative impact on wireless audio accessibility. Participants will learn how Auracast works within Bluetooth LE Audio to broadcast audio directly to hearing aids and other devices, offering a seamless listening experience in public and private settings. The session will cover the key benefits of Auracast for individuals with hearing loss, its applications in environments like theaters, classrooms, and workplaces, and how it compares to traditional solutions.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Grand Rounds by ReSound: Accessories - Something Old, Something New!
Presented by Valerie Kedem, AuD
Live WebinarTue, Jan 28, 2025 at 2:00 pm EST
Tue, Jan 28, 2025 at 2:00 pm EST
ReSound

Presenter

Valerie Kedem, AuD
Course: #40243Level: Introductory0.5 Hours
ReSound’s accessories are a great addition to our patients’ hearing health journey. This course reviews current, new, and past options.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Bimodal Stimulation: A Cost Effective Solution Leading to Improved Speech and Hearing Outcomes for Adults
Presented by Megan Quilter, AuD
Recorded Webinar
ReSound

Presenter

Megan Quilter, AuD
Course: #37568Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'The course was good, although I wish there were a few more visuals/less text in the slideshow'   Read Reviews
This course is designed to introduce participants to the importance of binaural hearing. We will highlight the benefits and challenges that hearing healthcare professional may encounter when working with this population and discuss management and treatment strategies to ensure successful outcomes.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

ReSound Government Services: Outsmarting the Smartphone
Presented by Kara Sinner, MS, CCC-A, FAAA
Recorded Webinar
ReSound

Presenter

Kara Sinner, MS, CCC-A, FAAA
Course: #34506Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'content, pace appropriate to topic'   Read Reviews
With the proliferation of hearing aids that can directly connect with smartphones it is important for professionals working with hearing aids to stay up to date on smartphone technology and understand how smartphones can be effectively utilized in the office. This talk will cover differences between different smartphone platforms (iOS, Android) as well as real-world examples of how smartphone settings can be changed to benefit hearing aid users will be provided throughout the presentation.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

ReSound OMNIA: Introducing the Full Family
Presented by Neil Wright, AuD
Recorded Webinar
ReSound

Presenter

Neil Wright, AuD
Course: #38667Level: Introductory1 Hour
  'Great overview!'   Read Reviews
This course will introduce the expanded line of the ReSound OMNIA family of hearing aids, including the new mini-rechargeable Receiver In the Ear, as well as the updated BTE and custom models. The presentation will highlight the benefits of the OMNIA technology, and discuss changes made to ReSound Smart Fit fitting software that are introduced as part of the update to version 1.16.

View this Course for FREE.
Need CEUs? Become a AudiologyOnline member to get unlimited CEUs.

Only $129/yr

Learn More

Our site uses cookies to improve your experience. By using our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.