For a limited time, podcast listeners can get free full access to the 6th annual Future of Hearing Healthcare Conference.

Join us May 13, 20, and 27 for 23+ expert-led sessions covering the technologies, trends, and innovations shaping the future of hearing care. Attendees can earn CEUs, explore new developments, and enter to win thousands of dollars in giveaways.

Can’t attend live? All sessions will be available on-demand for 30 days.

👉 This is a podcast-only offer. Click the link below to register.

https://www.accelevents.com/e/u/checkout/fhh-2026/tickets/order?access=podcast

⏳ Offer expires Monday, May 4.

What does hearing have to do with performance on the pickleball court?Live from the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) Conference 2026 in San Antonio, Shari Eberts speaks with Christine Jones, Vice President of Marketing, Wholesale U.S. at Sonova, about Phonak’s new partnership with USA Pickleball and the launch of the nationwide “Hear to Win” campaign.The initiative aims to encourage a more proactive approach to hearing health by highlighting the role hearing plays in social connection, communication, and active lifestyles. With nearly 20 million players in the U.S., pickleball offers a fast-growing platform to engage consumers through tournaments, courtside activations, and digital outreach—including hearing screenings, technology demonstrations, and connections to local providers.In the conversation, Jones discusses how hearing technology is being positioned as a performance enabler in both sports and everyday environments, and how the campaign is designed to bring greater awareness to hearing health through community engagement and real-world experiences.Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

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Visit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/

What does it take to compete at the highest level of sport while growing up with hearing loss?In this conversation, U.S. ski jumper Estella Hassrick shares her journey—from being diagnosed with hereditary cochlear dysplasia at age three to competing on the U.S. national team. She discusses the realities of hearing loss in high-performance sports, including the challenges of wearing hearing aids under a helmet, navigating school and training environments, and adapting along the way.Estella also reflects on how hearing technology has evolved over her lifetime, her experience working with audiologists, and the role of support systems—including her partnership with Widex. Throughout the discussion, she offers perspective on resilience, identity, and what it means to pursue ambitious goals while managing hearing loss.Her message is clear: hearing loss may change the path—but it doesn’t define the outcome.Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.- https://x.com/WeekinHearing- https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinhearing/- https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-week-in-hearingVisit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/Audio podcast can be found on all major platforms, including Apple & Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thisweekinhearing

Could understanding individual sound preference be the key to improving hearing aid adoption and satisfaction?

Bob Traynor, live from WSA headquarters in Copenhagen, speaks with Lise Henningsen, Head of Audiology Evidence & Validation at WSA, about the emerging concept of sound preference—and why it may be a missing piece in hearing care.

Drawing on WSA’s latest research, they discuss how patients with similar audiograms can have very different reactions to sound processing, and why traditional best practices alone don’t always lead to successful outcomes.

The conversation explores how clinicians have long observed this variability in practice, often working across multiple brands and sound philosophies to better match patient needs. Henningsen explains how sound preference—though difficult to measure—plays a meaningful role in patient experience, influencing comfort, satisfaction, and long-term device use. WSA is now working to better define and quantify sound preference through ongoing research, including controlled studies with the University of Washington and Vanderbilt University.

These efforts aim to better understand how preference affects acclimatization, mood, and overall outcomes—and how simple tools, such as short listening assessments, could help guide more personalized hearing care.

• To learn more about WSA's sound preference research and clinical implications visit: https://www.wsa.com/soundpreference/

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Visit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/

What happens when a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience is made truly accessible?

In this conversation, Shari Eberts speaks with Dr. Alison Richard—former Provost of Yale and a leading primatologist—about a recent trip to Madagascar and the Seychelles. While the journey itself was memorable, one thing that stood out was how a simple tool—PowerPoint captions—transformed the experience for participants with hearing loss.Dr. Richard shares her personal journey with hearing loss and reflects on how communication challenges show up in lectures, fieldwork, and group settings.

The discussion highlights how enabling live captions during presentations made it possible to fully participate in lectures, Q&A sessions, and group learning moments—something that is often difficult in traditional environments.

What began as a small request quickly became a powerful example of inclusive design. As Dr. Richard explains, captions didn’t just benefit those with hearing loss—they improved comprehension and engagement for everyone.

The conversation also explores why accessibility tools like captions are still underutilized in academic and professional settings—and how small changes can have a broad impact.

Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

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Visit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/

In Part 2 of this conversation, the focus shifts from understanding tinnitus to how it’s actually managed.Dr. Jennifer Gans returns to speak with Shari Eberts about tinnitus management strategies. Building on their previous conversation, she outlines a practical framework for evaluating treatments, centered on three core elements: reducing anxiety, providing accurate education, and supporting nervous system regulation. Rather than focusing on specific products or claims, the discussion emphasizes how individuals can make informed decisions in a crowded and often confusing landscape.Dr. Gans also explores mindfulness-based approaches, sound therapy, hearing aids, and common misconceptions around supplements and “quick fixes.” The conversation reinforces a key idea: tinnitus is less about eliminating the sound and more about changing the brain’s response—offering a grounded, evidence-based perspective for clinicians, researchers, and individuals seeking to reduce tinnitus distress.**Check out Dr. Gans' weekly column at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/tinnitus-education-corner**Learn more about Dr. Gans and her work at: https://mindfultinnitusrelief.com/Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.- https://x.com/WeekinHearing- https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinhearing/- https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-week-in-hearingVisit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/

Dr. Harvey Dillon’s career in audiology spans more than four decades of research, innovation, and leadership that have helped shape modern hearing care around the world. A former Director of the National Acoustic Laboratories and Professor of Audiology at both Macquarie University and the University of Manchester, Dr. Dillon’s work bridges psychoacoustics, engineering, and clinical practice, influencing everything from hearing aid prescription to outcome measurement and auditory processing research.In this Giants in Audiology conversation, Dr. Dillon reflects on a journey that began with a curiosity about how things work—leading from electrical engineering into psychoacoustics, and ultimately into a long and impactful career at NAL. He shares stories of early mentorship, unexpected career turns, and the development of foundational contributions such as the Client-Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI), NAL prescription methods, and innovations in hearing aid technology. Along the way, he discusses lessons learned from leadership roles, including balancing research with real-world clinical needs and guiding large-scale programs aimed at improving hearing outcomes across Australia.Dr. Dillon also offers insight into the evolution of audiology as a field—from analog to digital hearing technology, from small-scale studies to global data-driven research, and from measuring process to focusing on patient-centered outcomes. He reflects on the importance of collaboration between researchers and clinicians, the value of long-term, evidence-based work, and the role of persistence and adaptability throughout his career.The discussion concludes with a look at his current work in auditory processing disorders and listening difficulties, where large-scale clinical data and new diagnostic approaches are helping to better understand patients whose challenges are not captured by the audiogram alone. It is a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation that highlights both the history of modern audiology and the ongoing efforts to improve care through research, innovation, and collaboration.Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

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Visit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/

The NAL-NL3 fitting algorithm is now entering clinical practice, following GN’s recent global rollout—marking a significant evolution from the widely used NL2 standard. In this discussion, Pádraig Kitterick of the National Acoustic Laboratories explains how NL3 moves beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach, introducing new modules designed for real-world listening challenges, including speech in noise and individuals with minimal or no measurable hearing loss.Drawing on large-scale clinical data and newer computational methods, NL3 refines gain prescriptions, improves fitting for complex hearing losses, and introduces a new philosophy for noisy environments—aiming to maintain intelligibility while improving listening comfort. The approach reflects how clinicians are already adjusting fittings in practice and builds those insights directly into the algorithm.In this updated segment, Andrew Bellavia adds new context and real-world impressions after trialing NL3-based fittings, offering perspective on how the noise module performs in everyday environments. As NL3 begins rolling out globally, this conversation provides a timely look at what may shape the next standard in hearing aid fitting.

• GN announcement of the global NAL-NL3 rollout: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearing-technologies/2026/resound-fitting-software-nl3/
• Learn more about the work NAL is doing at: https://www.nal.gov.au/

Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

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Hearing loss affects millions of people across all ages—but you wouldn’t know it from mainstream media. New data from a multi-country survey reveals just how rarely hearing aids and cochlear implants are seen in everyday media—and how often those portrayals miss the mark.Andrew Bellavia speaks with Ceri Whittaker, Senior External Relations Manager at GN, who leads communications around initiatives like GN’s “New Norm,” and John Lucchese, founder of NS Audiology, an independent hearing clinic in Sydney, Australia, with nearly two decades of clinical experience serving a diverse patient population.Together, they explore how media representation shapes perceptions of hearing loss—from outdated stereotypes to underrepresentation—and why improving visibility may be key to helping more people recognize hearing loss and seek support earlier.

• The New Norm image library is available here: https://unsplash.com/@gnhearingglobal

Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

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Visit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/

How has cochlear implant care evolved—and are clinical practices keeping pace with today’s technology?Brian Taylor speaks with Dr. Terry Zwolan, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Cochlear Americas, about the evolution of cochlear implants and the newly developed Cochlear™ Care Consensus. Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Dr. Zwolan reflects on how cochlear implant technology—and the patients who use it—have changed, and why clinical care models must evolve alongside these advancements.The conversation explores how early cochlear implant care was shaped by clinical trial protocols, often requiring frequent and lengthy appointments, and contrasts that with today’s more efficient technology and patient expectations. Dr. Zwolan also discusses how modern tools, remote care capabilities, and changing clinical workflows are influencing how clinicians deliver care.A central focus is the Cochlear Care Consensus—a set of 57 expert-driven recommendations designed to provide more detailed, practical guidance for clinicians. The consensus blends evidence-based research with real-world clinical expertise, offering insight into areas such as programming, patient management, evaluation, and the use of emerging tools like Remote Check.

• Learn more about the Cochlear Care Consensus here:https://pronews.cochlear.com/cochlear-care-consensus-recommendations/

• Cochlear Care Consensus: Expert Guided Care Recommendations (note: to access recording, you will need to create an account)

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Visit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/