Certified Audiologist vs VA audiologist

[Heller]

I submitted a fully-developed claim which included audiology results from a certified Au.D.:

Average of 1k, 2k, 3k, 4k = 58 in best ear. Speech recognition 55% & 65%

The VA made me take a test with their (outsourced) audiologist, unknown credentials:

Average of 1k, 2k, 3k, 4k = 56 in best ear. Speech recognition 94% & 94%!

How could there be such a discrepancy? Is this enough to appeal, or should I get another audiologist?

[Buck52]

 Heller,

If you can't hear the words or you don't understand the words  just say what ''you think'' you heard. 

if you heard something that sounded like the word but was way off   then  your hearing is bad B/C your not hearing the syllables as pronounced  ...so actually this helps them to know your hearing is not up to par  (so-to-speak)

1. Bad Word discrimination is constant with hearing loss.

2. Tinnitus is constant with hearing loss

However, if you think you have Tinnitus you need to let the Audiologist know you have a Ringing in your ears or a crazy sound you hear in your head that really bothers you and tell the Audiologist it is constant and you hear it all the time  especially at night when trying to sleep.

Usually the VA Audiologist will state something like

''Veteran did not provide  Adequate information that can be used for rating purpose and  hearing test .'' and that will hurt your chances to get a rating but it can be S.C. at 0%.

if your denied go to a private State license  Audiologist ASAP before the VA says we  need a Diagnose for hearing loss only from the VA.

They are trying to do that.  So for any License Audiologist can diagnose Hearing loss and can be used in your claim.

 

jmo

Edited October 30, 2017 by Buck52

[Buck52]

Gastone this is News to me.

My 1st actual Hearing Loss and Tinnitus DX was by a private ENT back in 09. The actual Hearing test was conducted by a non-medical State Certified Hearing Testing Clinician. Spoken word testing was within a couple points of the VA Recorded Word and the Freq loss was almost identical.

I always had been told that the VA Requires that  the test must be performed by a certified license Audiologist or MD ENT  and must use the required guidelines implemented by the VA. And use the Maryland CNC Word Recognition Testing?

''There must be Maryland CNC speech discrimination scores and recorded
decibel thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz. The evaluation for hearing loss is based on objective testing. Higher evaluations are assigned for more severe hearing
impairment.

 

I need to Re-Read the CFR's

Edited October 30, 2017 by Buck52

[Heller]

The VA audiologist never gave me any instruction before the "Say the ___ again" part. I didn't mean I was silent because I "can't hear that", but because even though I heard the word, I had absolutely no idea what that word was, just babble to me.

I was declared service-connected tinnitus, got 10%. Declared service-connected bilateral hearing loss, but got 0% because my speech recognition was 94%. I posted all the numbers for the pure-tone test and the SRT above, both by the VA audiologist and by my private audiologist. I just applied for hearing aids at the VA hospital in Vancouver, and the audiologist said that my VA exam from July was too long ago, and he would give me the entire pure-tone/Maryland CNC exam again. He also seemed to not be happy that the VA was using contractors for the audiology exam.

[Heller]

Somewhere in all the vet forums, we were cautioned to never ever guess, as you will be declared successful and thought to hear better than your pure tone averages imply. So now I've heard two opposite recommendations. When I go to my VA hospital audiologist for my new pure-tone/CNC exam for hearing aids, I will ask him what I should do or say in this circumstance. I think I can trust him, as he is MY doctor, not the contractor hired by the VA examiners.

[Buck52]

 I am not sure who mention to guess?

I Am not 100% sure how the VA does the hearing test now days  but 20 years ago or so the Audiologist is suppose to let you know how they will do the test and how you respond...either verbally or raise your hand when you hear the tones.

As for as the speech recognition test,   you repeat what you hear through your headphones  or what you think you hear sitting in a closed sound prof room/box .

your not guessing on what you think you hear.....just repeat what you think the word is  when they say   ''Say the word HAPPY''    You might think they said ''say the word ''PAPPY''   Or something that sounds like what the word they said but sounds different to you.

Some words totally sound different to a person with bad profound hearing loss.

However if you don't give an answer to what the word sounds like to you then the test will be inconclusive for rating purposes   especially if this is for a C&P Exam !!!

I agree a veteran that is having a hearing test be honest and never guess.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Buck52

[Heller]

I had a detailed communication with my private certified AuD audiologist, who rated my word recognition at 65% for my best ear. I asked her how she rated words if I did not respond, and she said:

" I understand wanting to know :) For word recognition scores, I present 25 words, and score it incorrect if one speech sound is incorrect. For example, if the word was fit and you said pit, it would be incorrect. If you didn't respond to a word it should be counted as incorrect. Let me know if I can be of further assistance."

Because I did not respond to many of the words presented by my VA contractor audiologist, I was shocked to find my word recognition was rated at 94%, so she clearly ignored the words where I did not answer at all, and only scored the ones I actually responded to.

I am going to an audiologist at the VA hospital later this month for a full audiology exam for my hearing aids, so I will get another exam sample.

How do I deal with this incompetent VA contractor audiologist on my appeal?