Hearing aid fitting: application of telemedicine in audiology.

Telemedicine is used as a tool for therapeutic performances with the aid of telematics. The term telematics, a compound of the words telecommunication and informatics, means (in general) electronic transfer of digital data. We describe an application of telemedicine in the field of audiology: the initial fitting, setup, fine tuning, and follow-up fitting of all kinds of digital programmable and digital signal-processing devices and the fitting of hearing aids in real soundscapes. Against a backdrop of limited resources and continuous innovations, telemedicine offers the possibility of increasing the efficiency of audiological methods and decreasing expenses at the same time.