Widex SmartRIC™ Hearing Aids Help Audiologist Dr. Jamie Graham Turn Skeptics into Believers

It’s not uncommon for patients to enter Gulf Coast Center for Audiology in Biloxi, Mississippi with a degree of skepticism. Simply put, some people haven’t had the best experiences with hearing aids. The concerns – though wide ranging – are usually the same: hearing aids don’t fit well with glasses behind-the-ear; background noise is overwhelming; and the battery dies too quickly. 

According to Dr. Jamie Graham, who began her career in pediatrics and now treats people of all ages, these are the most common complaints she receives. Dr. Graham prides herself on giving patients a better hearing experience. She addresses hearing loss with a customized approach and seeks to change patient perception of what hearing aids are capable of. 

Her success, she admits, largely depends on the quality of the hearing aids she fits her patients with. And recently, she’s found a new ally in her endeavor: The Widex SmartRIC. 

“Widex SmartRIC can assist with any degree of hearing loss,” she said, “and it completely eliminates many of the major issues previously experienced. The rave reviews I’ve received from my patients have been astounding.” 

Tackling Common Issues

Background noise, Dr. Graham said, is the number one complaint she receives from patients looking for a new solution. Widex SmartRIC directly addresses this challenge with its innovative L-shape design that places the device’s microphones higher up on the ear, making the angle between them closer to horizontal and enabling the directional microphone to align with what patients are focusing on. This results in an improved signal-to-noise ratio, which enables better hearing in noisy environments.

And reactions from patients have been overwhelmingly positive. “To be able to show my patients that there is a solution designed to reduce background noise helps me improve their quality of life,” she commented. “I’ve had patients try SmartRIC, then come back two weeks later for a check-up and marvel about how easily they are able to converse in busy environments.” 

In addition to reducing background noise, the SmartRIC hearing aid also fits better behind-the-ear with glasses. A recent patient of Dr. Graham’s, Joseph Cliburn, 70, has had hearing loss since his mid-30s – but opted to live without hearing aids because of prior suboptimal experiences. After Dr. Graham fitted him with Widex SmartRIC, he was amazed at how comfortable hearing aids could be.

“The L-shape and curve blends with my eyeglasses in a way that I’ve never experienced before,” Cliburn said. “They’re small and really light. I never have any irritation, discomfort or annoyance.” 

Plus, Dr. Graham has had patients come in for their two-week check-up and report that the battery lasts longer than they ever could have imagined (they provide up to 37 hours on a single charge). “I’ve had patients say, ‘This hearing aid is still fully charged, and I haven't plugged it in’ – which is pretty unheard of!” she said.

Improving Offerings

With patients of all ages, Dr. Graham has experience fitting new adopters and long-standing wearers alike. While fitting those with prior suboptimal experiences may be more challenging, it’s made easier when relying on hearing aids that can be trusted to perform at the highest level.

Cliburn serves as a prime example of a patient that would have preferred to live with hearing loss than sign up for another underperforming hearing aid, but Widex SmartRIC has taken him by surprise. “This is the first time in my life that I don’t feel like I’m wearing hearing aids,” he said. “It just feels like I can hear again. When I got home from my fitting, I could hear two mockingbirds on the lawn that I hadn’t been able to hear prior. When I walked inside, I was able to play my instruments with ease. I’m so glad I came to Dr. Jamie and gave hearing aids another try.” 

Dr. Graham looks forward to fitting more patients with SmartRIC to enhance their quality of life. “Having a hearing aid that I can fit on virtually any patient with any degree of hearing loss that is significantly advanced in its design and technology makes my job a whole lot easier,” Dr. Graham concluded.