An audiologist since 1994, Mr Burgess joined Hearing Partners, a hearing care company that is part of the Oticon Group, in 2007. Prior to that, he spent almost 10 years at the Singapore General Hospital’s Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department’s Listen & Talk Centre.
“The audiologist plays a key role in the rehabilitation of infants, children and adults to help them adjust to using hearing aids and maximising their use,” says Mr Burgess, who graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and earned his post-graduate diploma in audiology from the University of Queensland in 1993. He holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the Audiological Society of Australia, which he obtained in 1997.
He adds: “Audiologists work closely with ENT specialists and even make hospital visits to assess patients with hearing problems. They also check on those with hearing devices to determine how they are coping.”
The only audiologist on the team, he is supported by six hearing aid consultants, five laboratory technicians, and several support staff.
Audiologists counsel patients who initially might be self-conscious about wearing or being dependent on hearing aids or devices. Once they appreciate that these devices enable them to enjoy the world of sound, using one can be a life-changing event.
Mr Burgess has seen patients who used to be rather unsociable and ill-tempered due to hearing difficulties change into sociable and happier people with the proper hearing devices. Their lives had become more enjoyable and meaningful.
That is why he is so passionate about his work. He believes that all his patients — even those with severe hearing loss where the inner ears are permanently damaged — can still enjoy a normal lifestyle. Recent advancements in the technology and design of digital hearing aids have made this possible.
But how do we take care of our hearing? What do we do when we have trouble hearing? Does listening to loud music affect one’s hearing? How do we cope with degenerative hearing or hearing loss in old age?
Mr Burgess and his team face such questions regularly from patients. He says that many people do not treat their ears as gently as they should. “I have seen patients who use all kinds of objects, including cotton buds and hair pins, to clean their ears. Sometimes, they end up damaging the inner areas.”
He advises patients with hearing difficulties not to live with the problem but to seek a diagnostic assessment from a trained audiologist who will advise on the extent of the hearing loss and whether a hearing device is necessary or if attention from an ENT specialist is needed.
He also cautions against buying “off-the-shelf” hearing aids because fitting a hearing aid is not a simple matter.
First, sound is a very complex signal and each individual has his own unique sensitivity range. Fine-tuning the hearing instrument requires expert knowledge to suit the individual.
Second, audiologists fit hearing aids after considering the social, economic, educational or financial needs of their patients. “We need to listen to them and prescribe the best device according to their needs,” he says.
So committed is he to hearing health that he hopes that hearing aids, which are generally costly, may some day be payable via Medisave or through health insurance.
Mr Burgess, who is married with two sons aged nine and 11, has also served on the Ministry of Health (MOH) Committee to study childhood hearing loss in Singapore, and the National Advisory Committee on universal newborn hearing screening as well as the National Cochlear Implant Board.
He says: “The work of the MOH committee on Childhood Hearing Loss has ensured compulsory hearing screening of newborn babies for early detection of hearing problems.”
Article by S. Rani, a media consultant. E-mail: rsharon@singnet.com.sg For more information, visit www.hearingpartners.com.sg or www.oticon.com
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