Dr. Salus: Compliance and motivation the biggest challenge

Dr. Helen Salus' reception. She shares the office with her husband who is an ENT Dr. Her reception looks more like a living room and has little or no manufacturer's advertising. The only thing branded on the reception was a Lyric paper holder that has a hearing aid device inserted in a ear canal model.  

Dr. Salus focused on the physical, emotional and cognitive consequences of hearing loss. Hearing loss can lead to depression. 

The value of an audiologist:

• Assessment (Physical and lifestyle considerations)
• Customisation (Ensuring the device amplifies the pitches that need amplification, not all sounds)
• Rehabilitation (Education, compliance, behaviour changes, etc)
• Maintenance (Ensuring the device is clean and tuned).

For these reasons, Dr. Salus does not believe that Manufacturers can sell directly to the public. The Audiologists are needed to provide a personalised experience. Dr. Salus has had examples of patients buying a hearing device through online channels only to discover that it does not fit their ear shape or suit their hearing needs.

The Audiologist and the patient have a relationship. The focus is not to sell a device, but instead to have a relationship built on support and advice. Dr. Salus believes that it is the Audiologist who should own the relationship with the patient.

Key issues for Audiologists:

• Patient motivation. Same as per medication. Just because it is easy to take a medication, it means that compliance is maximised. 
• Engage the significant other to ensure compliance. For elderly patients, changing a battery is very difficult. Usually, elderly patients not only have hearing issues, but also eyesight problems (glaucoma, etc). This makes compliance and maintenance an issue. 
• Hearing loss is a shared responsibility. It involves the patient, the significant other and the audiologist. (Notes: Notice that the relationship does not extend to the manufacturer). 

Manufacturer's Opportunities:

• Education of the significant others as they an important link to compliance. 
• CSR involvement. It is upsetting that companies charge so much and provide so little to those in need. The Starkey Foundation is setting a clear example. 

Other observations:

• Dr. Salus first studied Engineering and fell into the field of Audiology by chance. 
• Dr. Salus deals with all major hearing aid manufacturers. She acknowledges that most manufacturers have good quality equipment with little differention from the competition. 
• Dr. Salus gets lead referrals from the ENT who shares her office (and also happens to be her husband)
• Dr. Salus communicates with patients and others using her Facebook page
• Dr. Salus has strong brand affinity to Starkys because they do not sell direct to public (and cut the audiologist out). This point gives them respect from an Audiologist's perspective. Also, Starky has implemented the Starkey foundation to give 10million low income earners a hearing device for free or a nominal fee. 

Insights:
Audiologists never push their patients to buy. It doesn't work and purchase is only one part of the entire process (compliance, rehabilitation and maintenance). Just as with smoking, it doesn't work when others tell you to quit. You need to be ready to quit.

On Communication:

• Manufacturer's B2C communication does not work without Audiologists involvement. The hearing problem requires understanding of people and the manufacturers understand product, not people.