Understanding the Standard for Tele-Services as Part of Hearing Aid Fitting Management

Recently, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published ISO 21388-2, which focuses on tele-services as part of hearing aid fitting management (tHAFM). This report introduces the fundamental aspects of ISO 21388-2 for tele-services in hearing aid fitting to assist in the proper adoption and utilization of tHAFM services in South Korea. The primary goal of tHAFM is to achieve the highest rehabilitation outcomes for hearing aid users, equivalent to those of traditional face-to-face services. It specifies the precondition requirements and general frameworks for tele-service delivery. As there is still a lack of reporting on the provision of tele-services related to hearing aid fitting in South Korea, future research should focus more on providing and validating the effectiveness of tele-services for domestic hearing aid users. Additionally, there is a need to establish step-by-step guidelines and professional education programs based on the ISO 21388-2 standard for the utilization of tHAFM. It is expected that the ISO 21388-2 standard will serve as a fundamental guideline for hearing aid professionals in effectively providing tele-services to achieve these goals.