DISPOSABLE HEARING AIDS ARRIVING AT MAYO CLINIC SCOTTSDALE

Thursday, August 31, 2000

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, August 29, 2000 – A new completely disposable hearing aid will be available within the next few months at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. At a cost of $80 for a pair plus the cost of a history and physical examination of the ears, patients for whom this type of amplification is appropriate can have a "Songbird"™ brand hearing aid that is thrown away after 30 to 40 days of use and easily replaced through a prescription. Each additional set of hearing aids is $80. "This type of hearing aid is best suited to individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss who want to try amplification for a year or so and then possibly start using a more permanent hearing aid," says Steven Huart, supervisor of the section of audiology at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. "A prescription for the disposable hearing aids can be written for up to a year at a time. After a year, the patient's hearing must be retested before another prescription is dispensed." Huart cautions that the disposable hearing aid is not appropriate for everyone. "This is a one-size-fits-all approach," Huart says. "These hearing aids are similar to 'reader' magnifying glasses you buy at the drugstore and currently there are only six different prescriptions for the disposable hearing aids available, compared with thousands of different prescriptions available for conventional hearing aids. These disposables are intended for a very limited audience." But for those who match the criteria for disposable hearing aids, "this type of hearing aid can be a convenient entry level device and lets patients experience the world of amplification," Huart says, "before making a permanent investment." - more - Disposable Hearing Aids – page 2

Huart adds, "If the Songbird is appropriate for your ears and your hearing loss, you may be able to leave the office with your hearing aids the day of the consultation, instead of waiting weeks for a custom device to be built. And we hope that service problems due to wax and moisture are reduced, because instead of sending an aid in for a costly factory repair, you simply throw it away and buy a new one." ###

Editor's note: For an interview and photo opportunity with an audiologist concerning hearing aid options, contact Anne Tewksbury, Marketing/Communications, 480-301-4368.

Mayo Clinic is a private group practice of medicine dedicated to providing diagnosis and treatment of patient illnesses through a systematic focus on individual patient needs. Mayo Clinic Scottsdale offers outpatient healthcare in 66 medical and surgical specialties and programs. Mayo Clinic also provides care at primary care practices located throughout the Valley and at the new Mayo Clinic Hospital. The hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the Clinic.

Media Contact: Anne Tewksbury Marketing/Communications Mayo Clinic Scottsdale 480-301-4368

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