Year: 2026 | Month: July-September | Volume: 11 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 7-11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/gijhsr.20260302
Pre-Fitting Considerations in Receiver-in-the-Canal Hearing Aid Selection: A Clinical Case Series
Asla M S1, Anakha Raj2, Dr Sreena E N3
1B. ASLP Interns, Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, National Institute of Speech and Hearing, Trivandrum, India.
2B. ASLP Interns, Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, National Institute of Speech and Hearing, Trivandrum, India.
3Senior Lecturer, Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, National Institute of Speech and Hearing, Trivandrum, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr Sreena E N
ABSTRACT
Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC) hearing aids have become the most widely prescribed hearing aid style because of their cosmetic appeal, acoustic advantages, reduced feedback, and user comfort. Despite these benefits, hearing aid adoption and long-term satisfaction remain suboptimal. Patient-specific factors such as cerumen management, manual dexterity, anatomical variations, and pediatric considerations may significantly influence fitting success but are often underemphasized during routine pre-fitting assessments. To illustrate the importance of comprehensive pre-fitting assessments in the selection and successful fitting of RIC hearing aids through a series of clinically relevant cases. The four cases demonstrated that recurrent cerumen impaction, reduced manual dexterity, temporomandibular joint (TMJ)-related ear canal changes, and pediatric retention and loudness concerns significantly affected hearing aid performance and user satisfaction. Individualized interventions including cerumen management, alternative hearing aid styles, custom receiver shells, earmould modifications, and programming adjustments improved outcomes. Successful RIC fitting requires consideration of factors beyond audiometric thresholds. Comprehensive pre-fitting evaluation incorporating otoscopic examination, dexterity assessment, anatomical evaluation, pediatric-specific considerations, and structured self-assessment measures may improve patient satisfaction, adherence, and long-term hearing aid outcomes.
Keywords: Receiver-in-the-Canal hearing aids, hearing aid fitting, pre-fitting assessment, hearing rehabilitation, dexterity, cerumen management, TMJ, pediatric amplification