New, innovative technology changing the way Australians approach hearing loss
DIGITAL, touch screen technology is revolutionising the way Australians approach hearing loss, with people now able to take a free, five-minute, interactive hearing test to see whether they need further treatment, without needing to visit an audiologist. An estimated one in six Australians suffer from some kind of hearing loss, with about half of all hearing impaired people aged under 65, however many younger people are too intimidated to book a hearing test with a qualified clinician, as they associate hearing loss with old age.
Brisbane based digital media company Yeahpoint has designed a new, innovative touch screen hearing test with professional audiology chain Bay Audio to remove the stigma associated with hearing loss and provide a discreet, free service to consumers.
The Yeahpoint touch screens are easy-to-use, offering customers an interactive test, as well as a print out of results, in a retail environment, to enable people to fit the test in with their active lifestyle.
Bay Audio Australian general manager Andrew Campbell said hearing loss could be extremely isolating and the straightforward nature of touch screen test had struck a chord with the busy baby boomer generation and younger workers who may not have time to book a hearing test.
“By introducing the hearing tests using the Yeahpoint platform to our stores we are removing the stigma often associated with hearing loss by providing an unintimidating, quick way for clients to see if they have a hearing problem,” Mr Campbell said.
He said the touch screens saved customers time and money, as it acted as a screening test using a free, virtual audiologist.
“The touch screens are a quick way for clients to see whether they need to undergo a full, diagnostic test with a qualified clinician,” he said. “Now, when a client books in for an appointment we know they have a problem and we can act quickly.”
Yeahpoint developed the first touch screen for Bay Audio in February, followed by a full roll out of the screens in Bay Audio stores in April.
Yeahpoint initially provided 10 screens to Bay Audio, but the tests proved so popular that demand increased. There are now 85 touch screen hearing tests in Australian Bay Audio stores, with plans to roll out more Yeahpoint screens as Bay Audio expands across Australia and into South-East Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore.
Yeahpoint CEO John Anderson said digital technology was being used to revolutionise the hearing industry, with the new touch screen tests making it much easier for people concerned about their hearing to see if they needed to seek professional treatment.
Mr Anderson said the digital technology behind the Bay Audio hearing tests used the same reliable platform that Yeahpoint also uses to screen in-store music video clips in Singapore, provide information about pet food in Australian pet stores and financial services advice internationally.
He said Yeahpoint’s unique platform could be adapted to suit the individual needs of their clients at about 15 per cent of the price it would cost a company to develop their own software from scratch.
“The technology behind the program is quite flexible, so we are able to adapt the applications easily to keep the product evolving,” he said.
“It’s cost effective for our clients because they don’t have to spend money developing a platform from the ground up and any changes can be made quickly and cheaply.”
For the Bay Audio touch screens, Mr Anderson said the hearing tests would be adapted to suit each region, so a customer in New Zealand would hear a Kiwi accent, and Australian hear an Aussie accent and so on.
“You can’t have a one size fits all approach and expect success. The hearing tests provide a service to the customer and we have made sure we adapted the product to suit the needs of customers in different countries,” he said.
Free hearing tests are now available on Yeahpoint touch screens at Bay Audio retail outlets, as well as mobile tests at other Bay Audio locations.
