Determination of Electroacoustic Performance and Suitability of ALPS Erika Hearing Aids for Use in Humanitarian Audiology

Abstract

Prior to fitting a hearing aid, it is critical to ensure that the device's electroacoustic performance complies with the safety standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) (2004) and/or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) (2014). This involves verifying each hearing aid's performance through electroacoustic analysis to ensure that it satisfies the expected specifications (Mueller & Bentler, 2019). This process requires the involvement of a well-trained individual capable of operating a certified hearing aid test box and utilizing an established specification sheet from the hearing aid manufacturer as a guideline to determine whether a specific hearing aid meets specified performance standards (Mueller & Bentler, 2019). However, underserved communities encounter economic barriers that impede their access to electroacoustically verified hearing aids, and there may be a shortage of trained professionals available to verify the hearing aid's performance before the fitting appointment (WHO, 2017). Additionally, in some cases, hearing aids provided for fitting in low to middle income countries are not always provided with the specification sheets required in this country. The ALPS hearing aids are an example of low-cost hearing aids with no specification sheets (ALPS Hearing, n.d.). To address this issue, the first objective of this study was to create a hearing aid specification sheet for the ALPS Erika i and P hearing aids. The overall hearing aid output of ten randomly selected ALPS Erika hearing aids, five of each model, was measured, compared across units for consistency, and averaged to create the specification sheet for these products. This process will help to determine if these hearing aids meet quality standards for the distribution and fitting of hearing aids in low to middle-income countries. The second objective was to determine the configuration and severity of hearing loss that can be accommodated by different settings of each ALPS Erika hearing aid model. The final objective was to investigate if these ALPS Erika hearing aids can adequately provide enough gain for the six most common hearing losses seen at the non-profit organization - Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion (ARSOBO), which were identified by Nicole Denny as part of her audiology doctoral project in 2018. In summary, this research paper highlights the critical importance of verifying a hearing aid's electroacoustic performance to ensure compliance with standards established by reputable organizations. In addition, the results of electroacoustic measures from the ALPS hearing aids will be included and discussed.