Barry A. Freeman Ph. D., Weston, Florida (USA)
Video 20
“Battery drain comparisons of wireless streaming hearing aids”
Technology advancements of hearing aids have led to greater satisfaction but have increased the burden to counsel patients on battery life. New hearing aids have wireless streaming capabilities with many features. While advantageous to the patient, these advancements increase the power requirements necessary to operate the hearing aids.
Manufacturer specification sheets generally do not report the actual battery drain because they follow standards where wireless functions and features are turned off and data is reported in the idle or airplane mode. These can be misleading and under-represent the actual battery drain of the hearing aids.
This paper presents the results of research on actual battery drain of wireless hearing aids. The results confirmed that current drain reported on datasheets provided by manufacturers have no relevance to the actual power consumption of hearing aids, especially with the activation of certain features and streaming. This might result in setting unrealistic expectations for patients about battery life, lead to more credit returns, and increase dissatisfaction. This session will provide audiologists with a better understanding of battery life, product performance, and conclude with counselling recommendations for
patients.