Eriksholm Summer Camp, 18-22 August 2010

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So how does today’s hearing care professional
survive and thrive in this changing marketplace
“Meet the Moderns” is a presentation that sheds
new light on today’s consumers with particular emphasis
on first time users. The insights are the result
of Oticon’s recent and unique worldwide consumer
survey based on nearly 1,500 consumers with hearing
loss, revealing new insight into why people don’t
come in - and why they walk out.
Are we doing everything we can to help more people
own their hearing loss Learn more about several
new areas of opportunity for us to close the gaps
between people’s needs and expectations vs. what
we are doing as an industry today.
Life at Oticon
Ole Fogh Olsen, Director of Audiology &
Algorithms, Oticon A/S
An introduction to Oticon and daily life at the company.
How can audiologists - who are educated to
help patients cope with hearing loss – actively contribute
to hearing aid development This short presentation
of how hearing aids are developed will give
you an idea of how important it is for audiologists to
be represented in the development process. You will
learn about the different tests that we run and the
large panel of test subjects that try our products
before they are released for sale.
Trends in Audiology
Joel Beilin, Senior Director of Audiology &
Algorithms, Oticon A/S
During the last few years Oticon has been investing
a significant effort into understanding, developing
and implementing spatial sound technologies into
hearing instruments. As part of this focus, a brand
new advanced Virtual Sound Environment laboratory
was created at Oticon’s Headquarters. But why
is spatial sound suddenly so interesting Actually
it always has been, but due to technological limitations
as well as a limited understanding of the
underlying cognitive and perceptual mechanisms, it
is only recently that a more comprehensive understanding
of spatial perception and sound reproduction
has been gained. We know that disabilities in
dynamic and spatial hearing can affect people’s perception
of hearing loss, and even though hearing aid
technology has come a long way in terms of speech
understanding in noisy surroundings - as measured
in a laboratory setup – the fact is that truly spatial
environments remain a major challenge, particularly
where speech is being compromised by noise.
Evaluation and Management of Tinnitus
Ravi Sockalingam, Senior Audiologist, Oticon A/S
Tinnitus is a common complaint among people with
hearing loss and yet very little is taught at most
audiology curricula. As a result many clinicians feel
ill-equipped or under-prepared to take on tinnitus
clients in their clinical practice. This presentation
aims to walk the audience through a range of tools
and techniques that are available to audiologists
for evaluating and managing tinnitus effectively in
a clinical setting. As in most types of psychological
rehabilitation, there is no “one size fits all”. Every
patient is unique and the type of remediation for a
particular patient may encompass a combination of
several techniques and approaches.
Silicon Engines – the Heart of Hearing Solutions
Ivan Jørgensen, Director of Silicon Engines,
Oticon A/S
The presentation introduces the technologies used
to build the electrical core of modern hearing aids.
We also take a look at the latest trends.
ACCESS: A user-driven approach to designing new
hearing aid accessories
Gabriel Aldaz, Mechanical Engineering Industrial
PhD student
Oticon’s new corporate strategy states that people
are our starting point. The ACCESS project, which
took a user-driven approach to designing hearing
aid accessories, is an excellent example of this
philosophy. The project team (three CDT members
plus internal and external consultants) sought to
answer the research question, “In what situations
are hearing aids alone not enough to provide a good
user experience” Over the course of one year we
gathered user insights, analysed them, and created
a number of innovative accessory proposals that
might one day become real products on the market.
Keys to success - what to consider before, during,
and after fittings
Regitze Willemoës, Audiologist/International
Trainer, Oticon A/S
Successful fittings demand a holistic aproach and a
thorough understanding of patient needs. We will
discuss your potential everyday challenges and
offer ways to overcome these with the aid of supportive
fitting and counselling tools.
Children with hearing loss – who are they and how
can we help
Sille Ørnberg, Marketing Group Manager, Paediatrics,
Oticon A/S
The presentation addresses the paediatric segment
and shows the areas in which children with hearing
loss differ from adults. What do we need to consider
when working with children, and how can we help
them with amplification and accessories
Saturday’s exhibitions
Oticon Medical
Anton Hedström & Heidi Kofod
At Oticon Medical over a century of experience in
audiology and sound processing is being combined
with decades of pioneering experience in hearing
implant technology. Our connection to Oticon gives
us unique access to knowledge, resources and
technology, as well as the power to bring progression
to bone anchored hearing systems.
Oticon Medical’s People First philosophy is a direct
heritage from Oticon. It reminds us that every
product we create – from sound processors and surgical
components to fitting, counselling and support
tools – should be designed with user needs in mind.
We want to empower all users of bone anchored
hearing systems to realise their full potential and
play an active part in life.
Interacoustics
Maria Løye Samsson
RECD (Real-Ear-to-Coupler Difference) is an important
tool in clinical practice - especially when having
to deal with children - as their ear canals are smaller.
If adult data is used in the fitting process there is a
risk of providing too much amplification. Furthermore,
RECD overcomes the problem associated with
changes in azimuth and movement of the reference
microphone that may occur when dealing with hardto-test
populations. Even though RECD has many
advantages, many clinicians choose not to perform
the measurement as they are uncertain about the
procedure. This session is designed to address this
issue and to demonstrate RECD on the Interacoustics
Affinity2.0.
Phonic Ear
Pernille K. Lindhardt
Phonic Ear and assistive listening devices. A short
presentation of Phonic Ear as a company; a more
detailed presentation of the products and solutions;
plus a chance to see and try the products.
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