Forestville, NSW - As hearing loss continues to affect millions of Australians, one local audiologist is warning that the widely advertised “free hearing tests” offered in retail settings and shopping centres may not be doing enough to properly assess hearing health or prepare patients for hearing aid fittings.
Dr. Signe Steers, Doctor of Audiology and founder of The Audiology Place in Forestville, says consumers are being short-changed by quick hearing screenings offered by retail hearing aid chains—tests that are often limited in scope, accuracy, and usefulness.
By contrast, a comprehensive hearing assessment, conducted in a soundproof environment by an independent audiologist, can uncover a full range of hearing and auditory processing issues.
It includes:
-High-frequency testing (necessary for early-stage hearing loss)
-Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) to assess inner ear function
-Speech-in-noise assessments that mimic real-world hearing challenges
-Middle ear function testing (tympanometry)
-Cognitive and auditory processing screening, where appropriate
-Tinnitus evaluation and management strategies
-Review of contributing issues, such as TMJ dysfunction or misophonia
These evaluations typically take 60 to 90 minutes and are customised to each patient’s symptoms, lifestyle, and medical background.
“You cannot and should not fit a hearing aid based on a 10-minute screening,” says Dr. Steers. “A proper fitting requires a precise understanding of the patient’s hearing thresholds across a full frequency range, speech understanding ability, and real-ear measurements. Anything less is guesswork—and it risks delivering a poor experience with hearing aids.”
The Audiology Place also stresses that independent audiology clinics, unlike most retail hearing aid stores, are not owned by hearing aid manufacturers. This independence means patients are offered a full range of devices from all major brands, selected based on their individual needs, not corporate contracts.
Media Contact
Company Name: The Audiology Place
Contact Person: Robert
Email: Send Email
Phone: 02 93158327
City: Sydney
Country: Australia
Website: https://www.theaudiologyplace.com.au/
