Telehealth and Hearing Care: What Can Be Done Remotely in Edmonton

Telehealth has changed how many Canadians access healthcare, and hearing care is no exception. While a comprehensive hearing test still requires in-person equipment, several parts of the hearing care journey can now happen from your home, either through video calls or through the remote capabilities built into modern hearing aids.

Understanding what can and cannot be done remotely helps you plan your care and avoid unnecessary trips.

What can be done remotely

Follow-up consultations

After an initial in-person hearing test and fitting, many follow-up discussions can happen over a video call. Your audiologist can review how you are adjusting, answer questions, and discuss any concerns.

Hearing aid adjustments

Many modern hearing aids can be adjusted remotely. Your audiologist sends updated programming to your hearing aids through a smartphone app, and you can provide feedback in real time over a video call. This is especially useful for fine-tuning in the weeks after a new fitting.

Counselling and education

Learning about hearing loss, communication strategies, and how to get the most from your hearing aids does not require physical presence. These conversations work well over video.

Triage and troubleshooting

If your hearing aid stops working or sounds off, a quick video call can help determine whether the issue is something you can fix at home (a blocked receiver, a dead battery, a disconnected dome) or something that needs an in-person repair.

What still requires an in-person visit

The initial hearing test

A diagnostic hearing assessment requires calibrated equipment in a sound-treated booth. Otoscopy (looking into the ear canal), tympanometry (testing middle-ear function), and pure-tone audiometry cannot be replicated at home with consumer-grade equipment.

Ear impressions and custom fittings

Custom hearing aids, earmolds, and custom earplugs require a physical impression of your ear canal. Real-ear measurement, the gold standard for verifying hearing aid fit, also requires in-person equipment.

Repairs

Physical repairs, cleaning, and parts replacement require the device in hand.

Earwax management

Earwax removal is a hands-on procedure that cannot be done remotely.

Who benefits most from remote hearing care in Edmonton

Telehealth hearing care is not a replacement for the clinic, but for the right situations it makes a real difference.

Seniors and those with mobility challenges

For older adults who find it difficult to travel, especially during Edmonton’s winter months, a video follow-up can save a stressful trip. Patients in care homes and assisted living facilities benefit from remote check-ins between in-person visits or visits from our mobile hearing care team.

Patients in surrounding communities

If you live in St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, or other communities around Edmonton, remote appointments reduce the need for repeated drives into the city for routine follow-ups after your initial fitting.

Busy professionals

Workers with demanding schedules, including those in Edmonton’s industrial and trades sectors, can often fit a 15-minute video check-in into a lunch break more easily than a full clinic visit.

What you need for a remote appointment

Setting up for a virtual hearing care appointment is straightforward. You need a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a working camera and microphone, plus a reliable internet connection. If your hearing aids connect to a smartphone app, make sure the app is installed and your hearing aids are paired before the appointment.

Your audiologist will send you a link or instructions ahead of time. Most remote appointments take 15 to 30 minutes depending on what needs to be covered.

Privacy and insurance considerations in Alberta

Virtual hearing care appointments in Alberta follow the same privacy standards as in-person visits. Your audiologist is bound by Alberta’s Health Information Act whether the appointment happens in the clinic or over a video call.

Many insurance plans and AADL (Alberta Aids to Daily Living) cover hearing care services regardless of whether they are delivered in person or remotely. Check with your provider to confirm what your plan includes.

How Edmonton Hearing Clinic handles remote care

We offer follow-up consultations and hearing aid adjustments remotely when appropriate. For patients who cannot easily travel to one of our three locations, our mobile hearing care team can also bring the full clinic experience to your home.

The best approach is usually a combination: in-person for the initial hearing test and fitting, with remote follow-ups when an office visit is not necessary.

Contact any of our locations to ask about remote follow-up options, or book your initial hearing test in person at our Edmonton or Calgary clinics.