Several times this week my patients have been impressed with the high tech aspect of hearing aid fittings from the programming ability of the manufacturer’s software to the real ear testing we do during fittings. It is very exciting what technology allows us to do in fitting hearing aids but more than ever I want to emphasize the personal aspect of what truly makes for a successful hearing aid fitting. We start with a willing patient who has an open mind and a touch of patience. Hearing aid fitting is a process and patients who are patient (no pun intended) and who come in motivated to learn and adapt will be more successful. Next we rely on our audiologists to understand the needs of each patient and appropriate fit and adjust the hearing aids to allow the patient to do the best they possibly can. Finally, we have the relationship of the audiologist and the patient who will work together to fine tune the hearing aids and talk through how to optimize the patient’s communication ability. It is the long term relationship that we are dedicated to at Valley Audiology.