Press Release

Position Statement from the Ethics and Standards Committee of the SA Speech

Language and Hearing Association and the SA Association of Audiologists (SAAA)- July 2010

Online Internet sales of hearing aids

WHEREAS audiologists and hearing aid acousticians are trained and expert in the prescription, selection, fitting and dispensing of hearing aids as a component of the complete professional service that is diagnostic audiology and aural rehabilitation, It is noted that hearing aids are currently available for purchase via the Internet from online companies selling these products;

WHEREAS free market principles allow the sale of goods by various means, including online via the Internet from online companies, It is noted that a hearing aid is classified as a Medical Device as defined in section 1 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act No. 101 of 1965); It is further noted that according to Rule 23 of ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL RULES OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA AS PROMULGATED IN GOVERNMENT GAZETTE R717/2006 AMENDED IN GOVERNMENT GAZETTE R68 FEBRUARY 2009, A practitioner may prescribe or supply medicine or a medical device to a patient: Provided that such practitioner has ascertained the diagnosis of the patient concerned through a personal examination of the patient or by virtue of a report by another practitioner under whose treatment the patient is or has been and such medicine or medical device is clinically indicated, taking into account the diagnosis and the individual prognosis of the patient, and affords the best possible care at a cost-effective rate compared to other available medicines or medical devices and the patient is informed of such other;

It is RESOLVED by the Ethics and Standards Committee of the SA Speech, Language and Hearing Association and the SAAA that online Internet sales of hearing aids to persons with hearing impairments are a contravention of Rule 23 of the above-mentioned Ethical Rule for the reason that this practice is clearly NOT in the best interests of the hearing impaired public;

And further, RESOLVED by the Ethics and Standards Committee of the SA Speech, Language and Hearing Association and SAAA that audiologists and hearing aid acousticians who are members of the association, or are in practice and affiliated to other professional organisations, are NOT under any obligation to fit, fine-tune, measure the in situ performance or adjust instruments purchased online via the Internet, NOR are they under any obligation to provide the usual support services for hearing aid orientation, namely aural rehabilitation and counseling, to persons who have purchased these instruments online via the Internet;

And furthermore, RESOLVED by the Ethics and Standards Committee of the SA Speech, Language and Hearing Association and SAAA that it does not condone the conduct of members of the profession who support or encourage online Internet sales of hearing aids to hearing impaired persons. 

SAPPF Press Release July 2010

Press Release
Judge Ebersohn yesterday in a judgement regarding the RPL found in favour of the SAPPF and others in setting aside the regulations, declaring them invalid. In his verdict he elaborated that "the 2009 RPL reflects rates that were unreasonably low…." "Ultimately, there was the real risk that the effect of the RPL decision would play out on patients who may face the burden of a declining number of doctors within the county".

The SAPPF and others decided to implement legal action against the Director General of the Department of Health when it became clear that the DoH was unwilling to set a cost based RPL. The current RPL was set at a level far below what it costs to manage a private practice. The further consequence of this illegal RPL was that funders/medical schemes used it to place an unreasonable financial burden on patients.

Dr Chris Archer, CEO of the SAPPF said that the board of the SAPPF welcomes the judgement and looks forward to the creation of a system that is fair and cost based. The hope is that this will aid in the retention of highly skilled medical doctors in South Africa.

Contact: Dr Chris Archer

Tel: 011 484 1262
Cel: 082 461 8595

 

SAPPF Press Release February 2010

The loudest instrument for soccer fans – the ultimate lab test

Do you remember the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year? Along with the enthusiasm of the supporters, one particular sound was transmitted into our homes for the first time: a continuous droning noise that sounded like a giant swarm of bees. We are talking about the vuvuzela, the blowing horn used by South African soccer fans. It caused a major outcry; players and even broadcasters found the strident, incessant noise disturbing and asked for a ban to be imposed. However, FIFA spoke out in favor of the vuvuzela as an emblem of South African soccer, so it seems likely that we are about to have the loudest World Cup of all time.

That the South African fans generate a huge amount of background noise with their vuvuzelas is undeniable, but are they really the loudest? What about the Brazilians with their samba drums? Or the cowbells of the Swiss fans? How about good old-fashioned rattles? And what about air horns, a relic of the 80s that has since been banned from stadia on safety grounds? And, of course, there are the songs sung by the supporters. How do these compare with the instruments?

To get answers to these questions, the Hear the World initiative – which works to raise awareness of hearing and hearing loss – has taken a closer look at some of the fans’ best-loved instruments. These were put to the test in a completely soundproof chamber belonging to Phonak, the manufacturer of hearing instruments, in Fellbach near Stuttgart. The distance between the sound source and the testing device was 10 cm and the test was carried out using benchmark filter A under the IEC standard, as this represents actual hearing perception. Two noise output meters were used to ensure that the results were sound. The test series was monitored and logged by two audiologists from Phonak GmbH.

The following sound sources were measured: a vuvuzela (plastic, length 62 cm, bell diameter 10.5 cm, from www.vuvuzuela-kaufen.com), a samba drum (diameter 18 inches, height 45 cm, from Troyan Drumshop, Munich), an original cowbell (height 12 cm, diameter 15 cm, from East Tyrol), a large wooden rattle (length 50 cm, from www.eisenbeisser-shop.de), an air horn (18 bar, from www.creative-world.de), plus singing by a VfB Stuttgart supporter.

The results
1st: vuvuzela 123.9 dB (A)
2nd: air horn 123.2 dB (A)
3rd: singing by a VfB Stuttgart supporter 121.4 dB (A)
4th: cowbell 113.6 dB (A)
5th: samba drum 110.5 dB (A)
6th: large wooden rattle 109.8 dB (A)

So, if you want to support your team at maximum volume, use a vuvuzela, which achieves noise levels similar to those reached in jet aircraft testing*. However, the experts’ view is that, over a long period of exposure, the effects of noise can cause hearing damage from upwards of 85 decibels; the pain threshold of human hearing is around 120 decibels*. Daniela-Simone Feit, head of Phonak’s Audiology division, commented on the results as follows: “Obviously, background noise makes a major contribution to the atmosphere in a soccer stadium, and supporters are focusing mainly on footwork and goals. However, we should be aware that the length of exposure to noise is of particular importance to our hearing. If someone is exposed to a noise level of 100 dB (A) for more than 15 minutes, they are already at risk of hearing damage. As a comparison, industrial safety regulations specify that workers should not be exposed to noise above 95 dB (A) for more than one hour – provided they are wearing ear protection. Another interesting fact is that as soon as an existing sound source is increased by ten decibels, we perceive it as being twice as loud. So, if we look at our test results and compare the samba drum with the vuvuzela, our perception would be that the vuvuzela is twice as loud as the drum. As a general rule, then, if you want to do your hearing a favor when you go to watch a soccer game, you should wear earplugs, which are increasingly being used at rock concerts, for example.”

To locate a hearing health professional in your area, take an online hearing screening and for tips on preventing hearing loss, visit www.hear-the-world.com/za become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CanYouHearTheWorld and follow the Hear the World Twitter channel at www.Twitter.com/Hear_The_World .

About Hear the World

Hear the World is a global initiative by leading hearing system manufacturer Phonak created to raise awareness about the importance of hearing. The initiative calls attention to the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and addresses prevention of and solutions to a problem that affects more than 16% of the world’s population. Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Sting, Plácido Domingo and other renowned personalities support the Hear the World initiative as ambassadors. In the context of the Hear the World initiative, Phonak has established the non-profit Hear the World Foundation to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss through financial and technical assistance. The foundation is committed to the prevention of hearing loss as well as the support of people with hearing loss and their families.

To learn more about Hear the World, visit www.hear-the-world.com/za or

Hear the World
Cheryl van der Merwe
(012) 333 3131 or call the hearing helpline on 0861-10-20-30 to connect to your nearest professional in South Africa. cheryl@hass.co.za

* Source: Environmental Agency of Dusseldorf, noise statistics