Why Comprehensive Matters
Many clinics offer standard hearing tests that only scratch the surface of your auditory capabilities. Our Comprehensive Hearing Assessment, however, dives deeper to explore the nuances of your hearing and ear-to-brain connection.
This thorough approach ensures that whether you are experiencing early signs of hearing loss, tinnitus, or other auditory difficulties, your unique hearing needs are met with professional assistance and recommendations.
What Can You Expect for Your Hearing Assessment?
A Minute-by-Minute, Step-by-Step Rundown
Not all hearing assessments are created equal. You know as well as we do that there’s a big difference between a stay at the Ritz and a stay at a motel down the highway; the same is said for your hearing care.
Our hearing assessments are medical-grade diagnostic evaluations, not a “quick test” to check if you can hear the beep. When you partner with our team, you’ll leave our clinic knowing three things:
What your ears and hearing system are doing
What it means for your real-life experience
What you can do next to get back to hearing the life you love most
These assessments typically take 60 minutes, sometimes longer depending on your unique circumstances and hearing concerns, as well as if we’re coordinating with physician care. Rest assured that we’re here to help you every step of the way.
THE APPOINTMENT: Minute-by-Minute Expectations for Your Hearing Assessment
Step 1 - A Warm Welcome and Expectations Set
(0:00–0:05)
You’ll be warmly greeted at the door and checked in for your appointment, where we’ll confirm your primary concerns and explain how your hearing assessment will go.
After confirming your demographics, insurance benefits as applicable, and consent, you’ll be asked to identify your top listening goals, whether that be hearing amid background noise in busy restaurants, listening to your grandkids’ voices, feeling more focused in work meetings, or even just being able to hear the phone ring again.
Clear expectations are set, including time frames, interpretation of assessment tests, and potential next steps for your hearing health journey.
A lot of people don’t need “more volume” but rather more clarity in specific situations that matter to them. Your goals will guide interpretation and recommendations for your best hearing health.
Step 3 - Otoscopy and Ear Canal/Ear Drum Health Check
(0:15–0:16)
You can’t accurately assess hearing health if your ear canals are blocked! Ear health findings influence whether amplification is appropriate today and whether a medical referral is needed.
Here, we’ll take a close look inside your ears and perform a visual inspection of your ear canals and tympanic membranes, looking for cerumen obstructions, signs of infection, perforated or scarred eardrums, and other anatomy considerations.
If wax is blocking your eardrum or will affect your hearing assessment, we’ll discuss safe removal options for your best hearing health and either manage it in-office or refer you for medical care, depending on your situation.
Step 5 - Inner-Ear Function Screening (0:20–0:23)
To assess the outer hair cell function in your cochlea, we’ll may perform distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs).
This assessment is how we differentiate cochlear function issues, cross-check behavioral results, and provide necessary information when responses are inconsistent, which could lead to very early cochlear changes.
Step 7 - Speech Understanding Testing
(0:33–0:38)
This is often the most illuminating section of the full hearing assessment for many patients!
Speech reception threshold (SRT) testing helps confirm the softest levels at which you can repeat speech, which cross-checks your pure-tone audiometry results and validates test validity.
Word recognition testing measures the clarity of speech you can hear at appropriate loudness levels, helping explain the common concern of hearing but not understanding.
Speech-in-noise testing measures how your brain and ears perform when background noise is present, such as in busy restaurants, bars, and other gathering spaces where you want to hear the people with you, not the bustle of the crowds around you.
These assessments guide expectations for your hearing health and treatment planning. This is where many people struggle the most but also where premium solutions, accessories, and communication strategies can make a measurable difference.
Step 9 - From Data to Next Steps: Results Interpretation and Education
(0:43–0:50)
You can’t accurately assess hearing health if your ear canals are blocked! Ear health findings influence whether amplification is appropriate today and whether a medical referral is needed.
Here, we’ll take a close look inside your ears and perform a visual inspection of your ear canals and tympanic membranes, looking for cerumen obstructions, signs of infection, perforated or scarred eardrums, and other anatomy considerations.
If wax is blocking your eardrum or will affect your hearing assessment, we’ll discuss safe removal options for your best hearing health and either manage it in-office or refer you for medical care, depending on your situation.
Step 11 - Your Personalized Treatment Plan: Options, Not Pressure
(0:52-0:60)
You’ll be presented with a prioritized plan of choices for your hearing optimization journey, typically including:
· Monitoring schedule (if hearing is normal or stable)
· Hearing aid candidacy (if appropriate)
· Assistive technology and accessories
· Communication strategies for family and work
· Hearing conservation plan (custom protection where relevant)
· Tinnitus evaluation and management support options (if relevant)
· Cochlear implant candidacy discussion (when hearing aids may not be enough)
You leave our clinic with a road map of where you can go for your hearing health, not a sales pitch or devices where you might not need them at all. The right next step depends on your unique needs, both in your hearing health and your busy lifestyle.
Our team acts as your GPS, offering direction and guidance as you drive your journey forward.
What Makes a Hearing Evaluation at Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center Different?
We start with your story, not the equipment.
Your story is the starting point, not the equipment. Diagnostic testing is performed—not just a simple screening—and includes speech understanding, ear pressure assessments, and otoscopy. This gives you a full understanding of your hearing health, not just whether you hear a beep or two.
Results are cross-checked for accuracy and reliability, and your ear health is assessed for utmost clarity.
You can rest assured that our team focuses on long-term hearing health, not one-time transactions or sales quotas. You’re provided with an interpretation of your results, counseling, and a written plan for the best clarity and understanding of your hearing health.
Not all hearing loss challenges are the same, so your hearing assessment should be tailor-made to fit your specific needs, no one else’s.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
Your needs and concerns may involve more than just hearing – this is where your evaluation becomes unmistakably “you.”
If dizziness is a primary concern:
· Targeted dizziness case history + triage
· Referral pathway and coordination language
If tinnitus is also a primary concern:
· Comprehensive tinnitus intake + impact screenings (awareness, disturbance, sleep, stress link)
· Baseline tinnitus questionnaires and counseling framework
· Sound tolerance considerations
· Next-step tinnitus plan (more in-depth testing procedures beyond a standard hearing test, education, sound enrichment, therapy options)
If you suspect hearing aids may not be enough:
· Candidacy conversation for cochlear implants
· Next-step referral/testing plan
Patient Reviews
Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center
Dr. Rudden and her staff have been meeting my hearing needs for well over 10 yrs. , from testing to providing appropriate options for me to make decisions. I cannot praise her and her staff high enough. They are always professional, caring and determined to meet my hearing needs.
Jay
Earles
Why Choose Longmont Hearing and Tinnitus Center for Your Hearing Needs?
Expert Audiologists
With a team renowned for redefining audiological best practices, you can trust that you are receiving the highest standard of care.
Patient-Centered Approach
Every step of our assessment process is designed to put you first - ensuring decisions are made with your comfort & confidence in mind.
Community-Focused Care
As an independent family-owned practice, we prioritize relationships and community engagement, to support you & the community in achieving better communication and quality of life.
