Volume 128

September 7, 2022

Resilience can be defined as individual or collective capacity to achieve integral purposes, despite dramatically changed circumstances. In many realms, personal, national and global, this character trait is admirable. For a moment, contemplate personal scenarios that have exemplified these types of challenges. Are kids going back to grade school or college facing real world struggles?

With the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids (OTC HA) Era imminent, it is instructive for resilient Hearing Care Professionals to view it through a SWOT Analysis lens, namely:

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

While numerous industry forums express views on Weaknesses and Threats, we aim to positively identify Strengths and Opportunities:

To reiterate, our interim OTC HA focus is Before, During and After timeframes related to the 2022 holiday season:

We supportively walk in your shoes to Amplify Influence™ by going 5 for 5 in capitalizing on these (and other…) competitive advantages:

Strengths:

1. Locally owned practice reputation, earned over years or decades
2. Clinical expertise, applied by your talented team, with advanced diagnostic infrastructure
3. Personal relationships, essential to successful hearing care outcomes
4. Compassionate counseling, which is (literally…) the heart of the matter
5. Product and service diversity, with valuable “1 Stop Shop” benefits

Opportunities:

1. Nimbly ride the wave of increased hearing aid awareness
2. Solidify and promote community role as a well-respected audiological resource
3. Deliver trusted advice and decision-making clarity in an era sown with lots of questions
4. Make expert care more convenient and accessible, including telehealth
5. Strengthen physician referral networks when educational needs are acutely evident

On a scale from 1-10, how do you self-assess your current status and plans to effectively capitalize on these Strengths and Opportunities? 

While perfect is not an option, well-planned progress is.

As a useful construct for pursuing (Atomic Habits) 1% Better Goals, we rigorously focus on the ABCs of OTC HA 

is for Awareness, as consumers learn and evaluate crucial criteria, some more easily realized than others. Once again, the Curse of Knowledge (introduced 56 weeks ago) is apropos. An excerpt: 

“This is the Curse of Knowledge. Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. Our knowledge has ‘cursed’ us. And it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others, because we can’t readily re-create our listeners’ state of mind.”

If Stanford students couldn’t discern “Happy Birthday to You” being tapped, are consumers or referring physicians likely to plainly interpret product and service delivery comparisons between prescription and OTC HA? As one reference, if you asked 100 current and prospective hearing health consumers to playback this communiqué, would you expect them to be comfortable and confident in their knowledge of it?

usatoday.com

This is especially true when the general public’s initial information may be the FDA’s press release headline:

“FDA Finalizes Historic Rule Enabling Access to

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for Millions of Americans

More Affordable Hearing Aids Could Be in Stores as Soon as Mid-October”

Featured comments include: “The rule is expected to lower the cost of hearings aids,” …. followed by: 

“Today’s action by the FDA represents a significant milestone in making hearing aids more cost-effective and accessible.”

While certainly a worthy goal, on many levels, might some expect… 50% off? 

“Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected.

Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.” 

—Jamais Cascio

iftf.org/jamaiscascio

Next week, B is for Best Practices, followed by C is for Counseling. In the meantime, R is for Resilient.

View Previous Issue by Clicking on Link Below:

COVID-19 2020-03-26 | COVID-19 & Springing Forward

PGI #1 2020-04-02 | Communication Wellness Matters

PGI #2 2020-04-09 | Communication Wellness Starts with Why

PGI #3 2020-04-16 | Comorbidity Education, "Did You Know?"

PGI #4 2020-04-22 | “Diagnose & Treat” Comorbidity Education

PGI #5 2020-04-29 | Guiding Principles of The Art & Science of HealthScapes^®

PGI #6 2020-05-06 | Plan for the Other Side

PGI #7 2020-05-13 | Subject Matter Expertise & Social Currency

PGI #8 2020-05-20| Educate Well Monthly & Care to Share Daily

PGI #9 2020-05-27| The Survey Says, Take Science Seriously™

PGI #10 2020-06-03 | MD Referrals, Start with the ABC's

PGI #11 2020-06-10 | Going Digital with Omni-Channel Benefits

PGI #12 2020-06-17 | Monthly E-Newsletters, Stay in Touch

PGI #13 2020-06-24 | Wellness Wednesdays, Healthy Habits

PGI #14 2020-07-01 | Get Well Organized, Be an Educational Curator

PGI #15 2020-07-08 | Good Humor, Healthy Hearing

PGI #16 2020-07-15 | Nurturing Campaigns and Automatic Comorbidity Education

PGI #17 2020-07-22 | On the List, Tag You're It

PGI #18 2020-07-29 | Nurturing Campaigns, Go with The Flow

PGI #19 2020-08-05 | "Outsmart, Don't Outspend," The Right Fit

PGI #20 2020-08-12 | Targeted Mail, On Purpose

PGI #21 2020-08-19 | Tech Upgrades, Just What the Doctor Ordered

PGI #22 2020-08-26 | 5Ws of the Core 4 Learn More

PGI #23 2020-09-02 | The Art of Hearing, More Should Know

PGI #24 2020-09-09 | Friends & Family “Share the Joy of Hearing”

PGI #25 2020-09-16 | Your Unique Value Proposition, Pearls of Wisdom

PGI #26 2020-09-23 | Your patients' journey to well-informed decisions

PGI #27 2020-09-30 | Hear the Facts and care to share daily

PGI #28 2020-10-07 | Take the Lead, Start with Why

PGI #29 2020-10-14 | Change is evident. Let's diagnose and treat.

PGI #30 2020-10-21 | Your Local Pride. Let It Show.

PGI #31 2020-10-28 | Tell Your Story, Make It Memorable.

PGI #32 2020-11-04 | The Art of Hearing, Visibility Matters.

PGI #33 2020-11-11 | See the Pathway to Better Hearing

PGI #34 2020-11-18 | Our Experts, the Right Fit

PGI #35 2020-11-25 | Giving Thanks. Electing Gratitude as an Attitude

PGI #36 2020-12-02 | Get 2021 On Schedule and In Mind

PGI #37 2020-12-09 | E-Newsletters, Open Opportunities

PGI #38 2020-12-16 | Targeted Trio for All to See

PGI #39 2020-12-23 | Time to Celebrate, by the Book

PGI #40 2020-12-30 | 2021 For the Better

PGI #41 2021-01-06 | In 2021, HDI+. For the Better

PGI #42 2021-01-13 | More Wellness Referrals. A Resolution.

PGI #43 2021-01-20 | A Super Launch Meeting. Your VIP Ticket.

PGI #44 2021-01-27 | Motivational PCCs: Practice Culture Commitments

PGI #45 2021-02-03 | The Art & Science of HealthScapes® with Just 3 Words

PGI #46 2021-02-10 | In Their Own Words, a PET Project

PGI #47 2021-02-17 | Habit-forming progress is 1% better

PGI #48 2021-02-24 | Make Routine Progress Easy and Satisfying

PGI #49 2021-03-03 | The Art of Customer Service, Be Our Guest

PGI #50 2021-03-10 | Time for R&R (Rewards and Recognition)

PGI #51 2021-03-17 | A Year of Insights, For All to See

PGI #52 2021-03-24 | 3 C's, 1 Purpose. Your Practice Growth by Design.

PGI #53 2021-03-31 | Original Content, On Demand

PGI #54 2021-04-07 | Expert Coaching, Great Sports

PGI #55 2021-04-14 | Base Hits & a Double Play

PGI #56 2021-04-21 | Personalized Care, Think Local

PGI #57 2021-04-28 | The Art of Hearing, Who Knows?

PGI #58 2021-05-05 | Circles of Life, Listen Up

PGI #59 2021-05-12 | Customized Presentation Folders, Lasting Impressions

PGI #60 2021-05-19 | Practice Growth, From the Outside In

PGI#61 2021-05-26 | Physician Referrals, Doctor’s Orders

PGI #62 2021-06-02 | The ABC’s of Physician Referrals

PGI #63 2021-06-09 | Senior Living, The Numbers Speak

PGI #64 2021-06-16 | PEAK Performance, Measured Targets

PGI #65 2021-06-23 | PEAK Performance, High Priorities

PGI #66 2021-06-30 | SLC Growth, Be the Early Bird

PGI #67 2021-07-07 | From Their View, What’s Your Story?

PGI #68 2021-07-14 | An Informative Quartet, All Can Hear

PGI #69 2021-07-21 | Open Opportunities. Did You Know?

PGI #70 2021-07-28 | Educational Presentations, On the Menu

PGI #71 2021-08-04 | Live and Learn. The Curse of Knowledge.

PGI #72 2021-08-11 | To Be Memorable, Stick with It

PGI #73 2021-08-18 | Hearing Health Bingo, We've Got Your #

PGI #74 2021-08-25 | Hearing Health Bingo. Know How.

PGI #75 2021-09-01 | Frontline Staff. Who Can Help?

PGI #76 2021-09-08 | Opportune Invention & Hearing Health Ambassadors.

PGI #77 2021-09-15| Bring Precious Sounds to Life, Justice Served

PGI #78 2021-09-22 | Hearing Health Ambassadors SAVE

PGI #79 2021-09-29 | Hearing Health Ambassadors, Time to Find

PGI #80 2021-10-06 | The Networking Effect, Bringing it Home

PGI #81 2021-10-13 | Healthy Hearing, Good Business.

PGI #82 2021-10-20 | Corporate Wellness Matters

PGI #83 2021-10-27 | Hearing Health Partners, Carefully Funneled

PGI #84 2021-11-03 | Corporate Wellness Programs. How Rewarding.

PGI #85 2021-11-10 | Valuable Benefits, That’s The Story

PGI #86 2021-11-17 | Outside-In Growth, Handy Reference Guide

PGI #87 2021-11-24 | Go-Givers, Inspiring Heroes

PGI #88 2021-12-01 | 2022 Priorities, Ready to Rock.

PGI #89 2021-12-08 | 90 and Counting, Speaks Volumes

PGI #90 2021-12-15 | Educate Well Monthly™, Back to Basics

PGI #91 2021-12-22 | Did You Know? Targeted Trio

PGI #92 2021-12-29 | By the Book, Turning the Page

PGI #93 2022-01-05 | In 2022, Change for the Better

PGI #94 2022-01-12 | Super Practice Culture, The 3 Ts

PGI #95 2022-01-19 | Facebook Features, Wellness Wednesdays

PGI #96 2022-01-26 | Your Competitive Edge. Thankful Ripple Effects.

PGI #97 2022-02-02 | Good Humor, Healthy Hearing

PGI #98 2022-02-09 | Branding Basic$

PGI #99 2022-02-16 | 100th Practice Growth Insights™, @ Your Service

PGI #100 2022-02-23 | Your Practice Growth Insights, Go With The Flow

PGI #101 2022-03-02 | Your Growth OpportUNITY, Search Away

PGI #102 2022-03-09 | Your Practice, Uniquely Better & For Review

PGI #103 2022-03-16 | Your Health Questionnaire, Blue Man Style.

PGI #104 2022-03-23 | Ears Collect, Brains Connect™

PGI #105 2022-03-30 | 9 Facts, 1 Goal. Dementia Awareness.

PGI #106 2022-04-06 | Peer-Reviewed Success, Lead The Way

PGI #107 2022-04-13 | Knowledge Itself. Omni-Channel Works

PGI #108 2022-04-20 | Educational Architecture, Form Ever Follows Function

PGI #109 2022-04-27 | Grow Physician Referrals, Don’t be $alesy!

PGI #110 2022-05-04 | Hear the Fax™, Stay in Touch

PGI #111 2022-05-11 | E-Newsletter Nurturing = Healthy Growth.

PGI #112 2022-05-18 | Dementia Awareness Contagion & Social Currency

PGI #113 2022-05-25 | Dementia Education, The Lancet Journal Speaks

PGI #114 2022-06-01 | Modify Dementia Risk, Be Accountable.

PGI #115 2022-06-08 | By the Book, We Promise

PGI #116 2022-06-15 | Hearing Loss Prevention, A Sense of Urgency

PGI #117 2022-06-22 | Safer Soundscapes, Sustainable Hearing™

PGI #118 2022-06-29 | Safer Soundscapes, Sounds Risky, By the Number

PGI #119 2022-07-06 | Taking Care of Ears in the Teenage Years

PGI #120 2022-07-13 | Hear the Facts About NIHL

PGI #121 2022-07-20 | NIHL Collection & Just Saying Thanks

PGI #122 2022-07-27 | High Performance, Cognitive Decline

PGI #123 2022-08-03 | Cognitive Decisions, In Mind

PGI #124 2022-08-10 | Pearls of Wisdom™, Trustworthy Information

PGI #125 2022-08-17 | Keep Your Educational Tools, In Mind

PGI #126 2022-08-24 | OTC Hearing Aids, Healthy Choices

PGI #127 2022-08-31 | OTC Hearing Aids. Mild Concerns, Profound Opportunities.