A Proven Method for Integrating LACE
by Kathy Amos, Audiologist and Owner
Over the past six months, Kathy Amos, audiologist and owner of Posey’s Hearing Aid Center in Walnut Creek, California, has developed a remarkably successful and cost-effective method for integrating LACE auditory training into a hearing aid dispensing practice.
“Over the past six months, Posey’s has dispensed over 500 copies of LACE. Out of the 80% who have done at least one LACE session at home, only two have returned their hearing aids. One patient had done two LACE sessions and the other did three. So it would seem from our results over six months with several hundred patients that if the patient gets past the first five LACE sessions, the hearing aids are not returned.
Given that we started the year with over 20% returns, LACE has made a dramatic contribution to our top line revenue. But this contribution to our profitability is not the most important result of implementing LACE. By far the most significant impact of the LACE program is the increase in our patients’ communication confidence and, consequently, customer satisfaction.”
- Providing patients with low-cost incentives and recognition for completing LACE sessions significantly increases compliance.
- Returns were reduced from over 20% to less than 1%.
- Patient compliance with LACE training reached 80%: LACE has been dispensed to 500 patients, and 400 have done at least one session at home. Out of these 400, only two have returned their hearing aids.
- By shifting the patient’s focus from the hearing aids (and sometimes repeated adjustments) to their auditory training, LACE reduces the overall practitioner time per patient.
