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Princeton 304-487-2487 Bluefield 304-324-2954
We have been providing Hearing Testing, Hearing Aids, Dizziness, Vertigo and Balance Evaluations and Speech Therapy to Southern West Virginia for almost 30 years, with offices in Princeton and Bluefield.
At Blue Ridge Hearing and Balance Clinic, we believe that maintaining good hearing and balance are two of the most important aspects of your health and well-being. Mission Statement: BRHBC strives to provide excellent and complete hearing and balance care. We are committed to improving the quality of life of our patients and their families using the best technology, proven treatments, thoroughly educating our patients and offering exceptional patient care.
BRHBC is now Audigy certified Audigy group is the largest member owned organization of Audiologists in the United States . Audigy certification means that we have been selected as the premier practice in southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia , and we follow proven protocols to assure that our patients receive the best technology and treatment available. Only 180 practices in the country have received Audigy certification. To learn more about Audigy, follow this link: http://www.audigygroup.com/index.php In November, the entire BRHBC staff attended a training conference in Baltimore , and in March, key staff members attended additional training in Portland , Oregon . As a result of this training and certification, we have access to technology and treatment protocols that are not available to many audiology and hearing aid dispensing practices. Even though we are the largest and oldest practice in the area, we continue to improve and make sure that our patients consistently receive the best products and care available anywhere.
Dr. Desmond named editor for Hearing Journal Online Alan Desmond, Au,D has been named editor of the vestibular section of the new Hearing Journal online blog known as the Hearing Post. This site offer suggestions and guidance to both professionals and patients dealing with complaints of dizziness, vertigo or dysequilibrium. Below is an example of a recent post
1/11/11
For Professionals:
What's the best way to manage Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)? Ask your patient!
In my initial blog entry, I mentioned that only a small percentage of patients with BPPV are offered Canalith Repositioning (CRP). Why is that? Are some physicians unfamiliar with the benefits of CRP? Do physicians often underestimate how bothersome BPPV is for the patient when recommending they wait it out? Are patients interested in fast, effective treatments even if there is some cost and inconvenience involved? Yes, Yes and Yes! A few years ago, I read an article in a primary care journal recommending that patients with BPPV be referred to a specialist if their symptoms were still present one month after their initial visit. That didn't sit well with me, so I polled my last 50 BPPV patients that were treated with CRP. I asked "Knowing what you know now, that BPPV is a benign condition that will resolve without treatment, on average in 5 to 6 weeks, knowing the time and cost to be treated, and the effectiveness of the treatment, what would you do if you had a recurrence of symptoms?" 49 of 50 (98%) said they would return immediately for treatment. This was a telephone survey, so it is possible some of the respondents were just telling us what they thought we wanted to hear; but it is clear that most people would prefer immediate referral for treatment. Since then, I recommend that physicians offer their BPPV patients a choice of waiting versus immediate referral. A recent study (1) retrospectively reviewed the journey from initial complaint to diagnosis and symptom resolution in a group of patient with ultimately confirmed BPPV. They report that the mean wait time from initial presentation to successful treatment was 92 weeks, and that 85% of these patients had immediate symptom resolution on the first treatment session with a specialist trained in CRP. These are pretty impressive numbers. Tell us about your experience. Are referring physicians in your area doing any type of screening positional tests? Are they doing CRP themselves? Are patients coming in to you already aware of BPPV and CRP? Do your own poll and let us know what you find.
Fife D , FitzGerald JE . Do patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo receive prompt treatment? Analysis of waiting times and human and financial costs associated with current practice. Int J Audiol. 2005 Jan;44(1):50-7.
Dr. Desmond Releases New Informational Handbook
Our clinic director, Alan L. Desmond, Au.D. has recently completed his latest publication. Its’ title is Dizziness
Reference Guide (DRG), and is published and available through Micromedical Technologies, Chatham, IL
(www.micromedical.com) .The guide is designed for Primary Care Physicians, but it may be helpful to anyone
suffering from dizziness or balance disorders as it has several informational patient handouts included.. Below
is a description from the preface of the DRG
How to use the Dizziness Reference Guide (DRG)
The DRG is intended to be used as “quick access” to information when seeing a patient complaining of
dizziness. There are many different sensations, with many different causes, that a patient may describe as
“feeling dizzy.” The most common causes of dizziness are covered, but there are many causes of dizziness that
are not covered in this guide. The goal of the DRG is to increase efficiency and accuracy, and minimize time
spent gathering pertinent case history information and disseminating patient educational information.
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