This article was written by Cadan Kleinheksel, B.S., BC-HIS, a HearingLoss.com®-Certified provider at Comprehensive Ear & Hearing in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Hearing loss doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of aging. Nor should navigating hearing care feel overwhelming, impersonal, or uncertain. The truth is, not all hearing care providers offer the same level of service or commitment to best practices. That’s why HearingLoss.com®-Certified providers stand out.
What’s the benefit to you and your loved ones? Learn what it means to be a HearingLoss.com-Certified provider, how these professionals set the bar for excellence in hearing diagnostics and hearing aid fittings, and why choosing a certified professional is one of the most important decisions you can make for your hearing health.
What Does It Mean to Be a HearingLoss.com®-Certified Provider?
Nearly every industry has best practices — clearly defined, evidence-based standards that guide professionals in delivering consistent, effective, and ethical outcomes. In hearing care, many of these practices have been established by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) to ensure patients receive the highest quality of evaluation and treatment.
A HearingLoss.com-Certified clinic has proven its commitment to upholding clinical best practices and patient best practices, helping ensure your satisfaction and providing the resources you need to make informed decisions about your hearing health. Together, these elements help drive patient-centered care that supports your long-term hearing success.
Certified practices follow rigorous standards to ensure precise and effective hearing care:
Clinical Best Practices
- Patient consultations, hearing exams, and hearing aid fittings are thoroughly evaluated for quality and effectiveness.
- Real-ear measurement and hearing aid test-box assessments are integral components to ensure accurate hearing aid programming.
- Annual visits are encouraged to monitor and address changes in patients’ hearing health proactively.
Patient Best Practices
- From the first visit to ongoing care, certified practices prioritize a seamless, supportive experience for patients.
- Certified providers empower patients to make informed decisions about their hearing health through an optimized, patient-focused care process.
This certification program was developed to bring consistency, transparency, and elevated standards to hearing aid services. It helps instill confidence that you’re receiving professional care from a provider who puts your well-being first.
Ready to Experience Care That Puts You First?
Find a HearingLoss.com-Certified provider near you and take the next step toward better hearing. Our directory makes it simple to connect with trusted professionals who follow the highest clinical and patient best practices.
How Certified Providers Assess Your Hearing Health
The path to better hearing starts with an accurate and comprehensive evaluation. HearingLoss.com-Certified providers follow evidence-based testing protocols, going beyond a simple hearing screening.
A full exam includes:
- Air and bone-conduction testing to identify the type and degree of hearing loss
- Speech-recognition testing in both quiet and noisy environments
- Middle-ear analysis (tympanometry) to assess eardrum function
- Lifestyle discussions to understand your individual hearing goals
Note: State laws vary on whether hearing instrument specialists (HIS) can perform tympanometry. If the test is needed and not available through your HIS, they can coordinate with an audiologist to ensure the best outcome.
Why does comprehensive testing matter? Treatment decisions are only as good as the data they’re based on. A rushed or incomplete evaluation increases the risk of inappropriate recommendations. Certified providers take the time to ensure your hearing care plan is built on a solid clinical foundation.
Hearing Aid Fittings Done Right
Today’s hearing aids are remarkable feats of technology, but even the most advanced devices can fall short without proper programming and fitting. HearingLoss.com-Certified providers follow best-practice fitting protocols to ensure your hearing aids are precisely adjusted for optimal performance even in your most challenging listening environments.
Real-Ear Measurement (REM)
Did you know? Only about 3 in 10 hearing-care providers use real-ear measurement, a critical tool in ensuring hearing aids perform as intended. HearingLoss.com-Certified professionals undertake this important verification every time.
REM verifies that your hearing aids are providing the right amount of amplification for your specific hearing needs. A tiny microphone is placed in your ear to measure how sound behaves in your ear canal, allowing your provider to fine-tune the settings in real time.
The measurements account for your ear’s unique contours, your audiogram, and your everyday listening environments. By comparing how your devices are functioning to how they should be performing, your provider ensures you’re getting the most effective sound experience possible.
Speech-in-Noise (SIN) Testing
This test, also part of REM, measures how well a patient understands spoken words amid background sounds. It replicates real-world conditions, helping identify challenges not always found in quiet environments. Results inform whether hearing aids or other interventions can improve communication in challenging environments.
Curious About Your Hearing?
Every person’s hearing journey begins somewhere. While advanced tests like SIN provide detailed clinical insights, you don’t have to wait to learn more about your own hearing.
Start today with our free online hearing screener. It’s a fast, easy way to get a snapshot of your hearing and see if it’s time to connect with a certified provider.
Test Box
Test-box measurements are used to verify hearing aid function in a controlled setting. The hearing-care provider assesses key features like directional microphones, noise reduction, and battery performance to ensure the device meets manufacturer specifications and is working as intended.
Comprehensive Audiometry
Speech and threshold testing across various frequencies and intensities aids in assessing hearing sensitivity and speech comprehension. It helps identify the type, degree, and pattern of hearing loss, providing vital information for diagnostics and treatment-planning.
Tympanometry and Middle-Ear Tests
Tympanometry assesses eardrum movement in response to air pressure, helping detect middle-ear issues like fluid or a perforation. The provider may also conduct additional tests such as acoustic reflex and Eustachian tube evaluations, helping ensure a complete picture for diagnostics and treatment.
As mentioned earlier, state laws vary on whether an HIS can perform tympanometry and middle-ear tests. If the tests are needed and not available through your HIS, they can coordinate with an audiologist to ensure the best outcome.
Routine Maintenance Schedule
Regular care supports treatment longevity and effectiveness. Your optimized schedule may include:
- 1- to 2-week follow-up
- 30-day adjustment period
- Quarterly clean-and-checks
- Annual hearing evaluations
Speech Mapping
This tool ensures the hearing aids perform well for real-world speech understanding. Speech mapping, a form of real-ear verification, is used during hearing aid fittings. It displays how speech sounds are processed through your hearing aids in real time, helping your provider adjust settings for optimal clarity, comfort, and personalized device performance.
Patient Feedback and Fine-Tuning
Patient feedback plays a key role in successful hearing aid fittings. Your input on comfort, sound quality, and real-world listening challenges helps your provider make targeted adjustments, ensuring your hearing aids support you where it matters most — at home, at work, and in social settings.
In addition, HearingLoss.com-Certified providers use objective tools to help verify performance, personalize settings, and monitor your hearing health over time. Routine fine-tuning appointments allow for device maintenance and software updates, supporting long-term satisfaction, consistent results, and care that evolves with your needs.
Patient-Centered, Personalized Recommendations
Many people delay or avoid getting help for hearing difficulties — some potentially due to past experiences that felt more like sales pitches than health care. HearingLoss.com-Certified providers operate from a different mindset.
Every recommendation is:
- Rooted in your hearing levels and listening lifestyle
- Free from manufacturer bias or upselling pressure
- Grounded in science and your unique needs, not hype
You’ll never be pushed into a solution that doesn’t align with your goals. Whether you need hearing aids, hearing protection, or assistive listening devices, options are tailored to your lifestyle, budget, and long-term success.
A Human Approach to Health Care
Hearing care isn’t just about devices — it’s about people. Each person brings a unique set of needs, questions, and goals to their appointment. HearingLoss.com-Certified providers are trained to lead with professionalism and empathy, taking the time to understand each patient’s situation and provide care tailored to their specific circumstances.
They recognize that hearing loss can be emotional. It can affect confidence, relationships, and identity. That’s why the care process involves:
Active listening
Understanding your story before recommending a solution
Education
Making complex topics understandable and actionable for empowered decision-making
Support
Walking with you at every stage, from diagnostics and treatment to follow-ups and beyond
How Certification Impacts Caregivers and Families
Certified providers understand that hearing care is often a team effort. Loved ones play a vital role in:
• Encouraging appointments
• Supporting technology use at home
• Helping track changes in hearing or communication needs
• Providing an additional perspective during hearing care visits
That’s why caregivers and loved ones are always welcomed into the process. They’re given tools and guidance to be effective allies in their loved one’s hearing-care journey.
Support Your Loved One’s Hearing Journey With Trusted Care.
HearingLoss.com-Certified providers welcome caregivers and families as partners in the process, making sure everyone feels informed and supported.
Quick Answers About HearingLoss.com®-Certified Providers
What is a HearingLoss.com-Certified provider?
A HearingLoss.com-Certified provider is a licensed hearing care professional who has met select standards in clinical care established by the American Academy of Audiology and in the patient experience. Certification signifies a deep commitment to best practices and personalized hearing solutions.
How do I know if my provider is certified?
Use the HearingLoss.com Find a Hearing Professional directory. Practices with one or more certified providers marked by an icon with two check marks next to the practice name, so they easily stand out.
Why does certification matter in hearing care?
Certification ensures your care is rooted in science, best practices, and patient-centered care. It guarantees thorough testing, honest recommendations, and ongoing support that prioritizes your well-being.
Why are best practices in hearing care important?
Hearing care best practices are the steps that quality hearing care professionals take to ensure their patients have a good experience. They cover everything from how hearing conditions are diagnosed and addressed to how patients are treated when they walk in the door.
Do HearingLoss.com-Certified providers offer more than hearing aids?
State licensure laws define what services audiologists and hearing instrument specialists (HIS) can provide. In addition to hearing aids, many providers also support patients with hearing protection, tinnitus management, assistive listening devices, and communication strategies to improve everyday life.
Connect With HearingLoss.com
Whether you’re just beginning to notice changes in your hearing or you’ve been living with hearing loss for some time, you deserve a provider who truly listens and offers the most trusted, effective care available.
HearingLoss.com-Certified providers set the gold standard in hearing health. If you’re ready to take the next step:
- Take a quick online hearing screener.
- Search for a HearingLoss.com-Certified provider near you.
- Learn more about hearing loss, technology, and connections to total health.
Empower yourself with the care you deserve, and experience the difference of being truly heard. With a HearingLoss.com-Certified provider, you have a partner in better hearing for life.
References
- Mueller, H. G., & Picou, E. M. (2010). Survey examines popularity of real-ear probe-microphone measures. The Hearing Journal, 63(5), 27–28. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.hj.0000373447.52956.25. Accessed July 8. 2025.
Comprehensive Ear & Hearing in Grand Haven is dedicated to helping Michiganders hear their best and enhance their quality of life. With expert diagnostics, personalized treatment, and advanced hearing technology, the practice goes beyond simply providing hearing aids — it delivers compassionate, patient-first care. The knowledgeable team supports every step of the hearing journey, from thorough testing to customized solutions and dedicated follow-up. With a commitment to expertise and a personal touch, Comprehensive Ear & Hearing ensures patients receive the highest standard of care.
