Evaluation of audiological applications in hearing aid sales and application centers operating in Turkey

The auditory process starts with the perception of sound through the ears and ends in the temporal lobe of the brain. The occurrence of a problem in any region from the perception of sound until it reaches the brain can lead to hearing loss. Hearing loss is the condition of not hearing the sounds in the environment completely or not at all. Hearing loss may be congenital or may occur later in life. If hearing loss occurs in a sensory structure (inner ear) or nerve (auditory nerve), it is not possible to treat it with medical or surgical methods. In cases where treatment is not possible, hearing aids are required. Hearing aids collect and amplify ambient sounds and transmit them to the ear canal via a tube and ear mold to support hearing. The aim of this study is to examine the audiological examinations and audiological equipment used by audiologists and audiometrists working in hearing aid centers in Turkey during the process of patient fitting. In the study, 369 people, including 277 women and 92 men, working in hearing aid sales and fitting centres in Turkey participated. The data were collected from the employees via Google Forms; the questionnaire consists of 20 questions. Information such as the age of the individual participating in the survey, the city where he/she lives, the institution he/she works in, and how many years he/she has been working in the institution was requested. In addition, questions were asked about the audiological equipment in the centre where he/she worked and the audiological evaluations he/she made during the equipment process. Furthermore, the variety of audiological equipment was examined. This study will contribute to the literature on audiological equipment and audiological practices in hearing aid sales and fitting centres located in different cities and in individual and corporate companies. Keywords: Hearing, hearing loss, hearing aids, hearing aid sales and fitting center