Hearing Tests and Diagnostic Evaluations

A full diagnostic evaluation is considerably longer than the free screening offered in a retail setting, because it includes history, examination, threshold testing in each ear and speech testing. The clinic can tell you how much time to allow when you book, so you can plan your visit.

No. The testing is entirely non-invasive: you listen to tones and to speech through headphones or inserts and respond when you hear them. An examination of the ear canal comes first, which some people find a little unusual, but nothing in a standard hearing evaluation is painful.

Referral requirements depend on the service and your plan. Original Medicare allows certain non-acute hearing and implant-related diagnostic services without an order once every twelve months; other diagnostic exams generally require an order. Check with your plan and the clinic before booking, particularly for sudden hearing changes.

A screening asks whether you might have a problem, and the result is either a pass or a refer. A diagnostic evaluation measures the type, degree and configuration of any hearing loss in each ear and identifies where in the hearing system it originates. Only a diagnostic evaluation supports a hearing aid prescription or a medical referral.

Not automatically. Some results point to a medical cause that needs a referral, not amplification. Some show hearing loss mild enough that the honest answer is to monitor it. The evaluation tells us what is actually happening, and our recommendation follows from those measurements.

ZN Audiology provides pediatric hearing evaluations for children ages five and older at its Brooklyn and Forest Hills clinics. At the appointment, we use age-appropriate methods to assess hearing, then explain the results and discuss hearing aids or a referral when needed. Tell the clinic your child’s age when booking.

Bring your insurance details, a list of any medications, and any previous hearing test results you have. If you already wear hearing aids, bring them, because they can be measured and reprogrammed during the visit. It is often useful to bring someone who sees how your hearing affects you day to day.

Yes. At ZN Audiology, we offer convenient in-home concierge audiology services throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Long Island for patients who cannot travel to a clinic, and diagnostic evaluation is part of what a concierge audiology visit covers. An in-home hearing evaluation costs $350 and is not covered by insurance. Contact the office to arrange your appointment.