Hearing Matters Podcast: Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

How BLUEMOTH is Redesigning Access to Hearing Health

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Stigma keeps more people from hearing help than price does, and we’re tackling that head on with a model that puts privacy, speed, and clinical integrity at the center. Blaise sits down with Dr. Melanie Hecker, founder of BLUEMOTH and owner of five brick‑and‑mortar clinics, to unpack a digital prescription approach that feels modern without sacrificing professional care. Think premium devices you can test at home, real clinicians guiding each step, and service that moves at the speed of life.

We dig into the full customer journey: a private online consult, candidacy confirmed through a recent audiogram or a shipped test kit that includes air, bone, speech, and speech‑in‑noise, plus clear referrals when red flags pop up. The standout moment is the Experience Box—three sets of top‑tier hearing aids, first‑fit to about 85–90 percent, so users can compare sound quality, comfort, and features in the real world. An audiology assistant handles unboxing and setup, and follow‑ups in the first weeks keep progress on track. When issues require deeper adjustments, BLUEMOTH ships a laptop and Noahlink Wireless to unlock full software‑level tuning and feedback testing from home.

We also confront the big question: validation. Dr. Hecker explains why she won’t “check the box” on remote real-ear measurements (REMs) until it can be done with accuracy and integrity, and she lays out a realistic path forward—referrals for REM today, and future 3D ear scans to model real‑ear targets without probes. Add rapid response times, overnight loaners for device failures, strong connectivity, and pricing that sits between OTC and boutique clinics, and you get a hybrid that serves GenX, younger boomers, busy professionals, and families supporting older adults with mobility challenges.

If you care about access, outcomes, and the future of hearing healthcare, this conversation is a blueprint. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s been putting off a hearing check, and leave a review telling us which part of the hybrid model you’d adopt first.

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Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

You're tuned in to the Hearing Matters Podcast, the show that discusses hearing technology, best practices, and a global epidemic. Hearing loss. Before we kick this episode off, a special thank you to our partners. Cycle, built for the entire hearing care practice. Captain Call by Sorensen. Life is calling. Care credit. Here today to help more people here tomorrow. Fader plugs, the world's first custom adjustable earplug. Welcome back to another episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast. I'm founder and host, Blaise Delfino, and as a friendly reminder, this podcast is separate from my work at Starkey. You're tuned in to the Hearing Matters Podcast. I'm your host, Blaise Delfino, and joining me today is Dr. Melanie Hecker of Blue Moth, the company that is bringing a fresh digital prescription model to hearing healthcare. In our conversation today, we're going to be exploring how the model works, how it fits into what I like to say the broader audiological ecosystem, and how it ensures clinical quality, even in a home trial environment. Dr. Hecker, welcome to the Hearing Matters Podcast.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Thank you. Thanks so much for having me. I'm really excited.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

You and I connected a couple of months ago. And I have to say, while we personally connected a few months ago, I've been following what you and your team have been doing on social media for quite some time. And I just want to say, number one, thank you for what you and your team are doing as it relates to breaking down stigma, increasing access to hearing healthcare. Really admire it. So when we connected, I was like, yes, this is going to be an awesome Hearing Matters podcast episode. But Dr. Hecker, I want to dive right in. Blue Moth. What inspired you to found Blue Moth and how did your clinical or hearing care background really inform the model that your team is implementing?

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah, so a few different things happened in 2017. And 2017 was a pivotal year that really inspired the concept and idea. So in 2017, OTC legislation was passing through Washington State. So this is before it ever got to federal and got passed. And in 2017, I was the president of the Washington State Academy of Audiology. So I was very active in our state academy, and the OTC was coming through legislation. And it really shocked me. I mean, I guess not totally, but it did really shock me how strongly opposed many audiologists in the community were to it coming through. I've always been a big believer in consumer access, consumer choice. You can use the word patient or consumer, but let's be honest, in American healthcare, it is a consumer at the end of the day. And I really wanted those patients to be able to have choices. Do I think that prescription hearing technology is better? Of course, I know it is. I prefer that delivery method. But I also know that our biggest competition isn't each other as audiologists or providers, it's the limited amount of people who have hearing loss that actually seek treatment. And so if we can lower the barrier to entry through OTC, why would we not want to be advocating for that? So that was one big thing. I was kind of like, okay, I see OTC coming, I see the benefits of it, but I also see the risk. And then as a medical boutique private practice owner, because in Washington State, I have five different locations and traditional brick and mortar clinics. I know and respect the beauty of that. But there was really nothing in the in-between that married the best parts of OTC and married the best parts of audiological care in this hybrid model. So I started putting a lot of thought into like this whole void of space that I thought could be really empowering for patients to have as a third potential option. So that was what spurred it. And then I was in LA for a conference and I walked by this storefront called Gentle Monster. And I don't know if you've ever heard of them, but they are a South Korean eyewear brand. And the name was really intriguing, and there were no glasses plays. There were no glasses in the windows. It was like beautiful art, but it was really intriguing. I'm like, what is this store? So I went later and I looked it up and I'm like, oh my gosh, you know, it's an eyewear brand. There's Robbie Parker. There's all kinds of things out there that are extensions of someone's identity. You know what I mean? Like when you picked out your glasses and my son just picked out his first pair, it's a really fun experience to be able to say, is this me? Is this who I identify as? It's, you know, an accessory. And so I was thinking as someone who's worn glasses and contacts myself and is an audiologist, why is it so difficult? It's like pulling teeth to get someone to get over the denial, to accept that they have a hearing loss, to feel excited about the process of getting hearing technology. And you don't see that in the visual wellness space. So that was kind of the second impetus was how can we flip audiology on its head? How can we flip the script? Get rid of some of these power dynamics between patient and doctor, and have the end user be really empowered in the process. And, you know, the gentle monsters, the Warby Parkers of the world, they've done a really beautiful job laying out that framework. And so I really got inspired by that as well. So I just really wanted there to be expert audiological care and patient empowerment through choice. And so over the next few years, I kind of started thinking more and more about it. And what was interesting was at the time, I already had my brick and mortars. I was very busy. I had a young son at the time. And I thought it was such an obvious idea that I'm like, someone's gonna do it. And then when 2020 rolled around and we had all this extra free time because the world had shut down, I was like, okay, it's been three years, no one's done it, I'm still thinking about it. Apparently, I've been called to do this. So I started to create a business plan. And in 2020, I created a business plan. I started talking to hearing aid manufacturers, and that's kind of how it all really started.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Well, there's so much to unpack there, and I just want to re-emphasize you are a current private practice owner with five locations. Yes. That is incredible. So congratulations. I am a former private practice owner at one point operating three locations. That is not an easy feat. Okay, so so thank you and your team for what you're doing for your community. But I really want to emphasize the fact that Blue Moth's delivery model, and you're gonna bring us through this, this is not an OTC company. It is a direct-to-consumer prescription hearing aid fitting with the hearing care professionals still a part of the equation, which, as you had said, the traditional model is what you prefer. And you and your team at Blue Moth are still implementing that same model.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

I was thinking about that this morning when driving into Blue Moth headquarters, how I was talking to my business partner at Northwest, Hearing Intenitus, which is my brick and mortar. And I was thinking about how almost on a daily basis, I'm inspired by what we do at Northwest and the quality of care that we provide at our brick and mortar. And use that, how can we make the customer journey? How can we make the patient experience so boutique and medical and handheld and like at every single step of the way, how can we really exceed their expectations? But in this e-commerce direct-to-consumer manner. So I think a lot of people are surprised when I start sharing more and more about Blue Moth that we're not at all what they originally anticipated or thought we were.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Dr. Hecker, before we connected, I of course knew about Blue Moth Hearing. And for any professionals or consumers tuned in, please visit BlueMothHearing.com, learn more about what the team is doing. As it relates to the customer and patient journey, when I was in private practice, because you know, we always say, well, is is price and cost obviously they're two different things. That's a whole other conversation, but is that the true barrier to entry? Or is it really the stigma? So I mean, I'm part of the camp that it's really still that stigma. Although so many people are wearing AirPods and things in their ears, it's absolutely that stigma. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, of course, she introduced the stages of grief. We know that when we're working with patients, they're going through that grieving process. So around 2020, our practice actually implemented what was called the Patriot package. And you could get prescription hearing technology for the pair for $899, still getting that real ear measurement. Now, your model is such that when we were implementing that model, Melanie, that still required me and my time and my expertise, right? So with Blue Moth, you're outsourcing or transferring your information through a process of duplication to help more patients on their journey. The reason I kind of wanted to preface it and stage it that way is I want to know the Blue Moth customer journey from you know virtual appointment to that home trial to, of course, purchasing and moving forward with better hearing.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Totally. And I like the fact that you mentioned the price versus stigma because I 100% agree that this is a stigma issue and that it's a denial aspect. There's that shame. I want it to be hidden. I don't want anyone to know. And so to be able to have this online initial consultation where you can do it completely privately. No one needs to know that you're, you know, even going through this process, but it's another barrier to entry is that, oh gosh, now I have to go into that clinic and people are gonna see me. I have to accept that part to even make the appointment, right? There's an intimidation there. And so there's a reduction in the intimidation to be able to just go online and on or on my phone and to be able to see you as a provider, walk through, understand, okay, well, what is the process? What would this look like? What does it entail? So I really think that it helps reduce the intimidation of having to go into a medical clinic and see a doctor and then get this doctor recommendation. It just doesn't feel as heavy in this e-commerce DTC manner.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

There's probably so many patients out there that are intimidated to, you know, go sit in the waiting room with other individuals and we are humans. And while we want to maybe go through that experience with other humans, that initial step can be intimidating. So thank you for bringing that to light.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Totally. Well, I mean, and I think that the years from initial, okay, I think there's a problem to seeking care has gone from 11 to 7. And now some even say as as early as four. So we're seeing a healthy trend in the right direction, but there's still that delay. And so I do believe a large part of that has to do with, well, one, the grieving cycle, the identity portion and process of it. But it takes a lot of courage. And I think that as providers, we need to really respect that. When people come into our medical clinics, whether it be a brick and mortar or online, like it took a level of courage to say, hey, I think I have an issue and I want to start exploring that. And can you compassionately identify what the issue is and tell me what treatment paths I have? I mean, we have a really big responsibility and it's exciting to be able to guide people through that.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Now, as it relates to going back to the customer journey, prospective patient visits blue mothhearing.com. They say, you know what, I want to take the step towards better hearing. What does that process look like? I saw the unboxing video on YouTube. I thought that was brilliant. Again, we do live in that digital age. Because Melanie, you're solving a problem where there's, you know, 44 million Americans who have hearing loss on an audiogram, another 26 million Americans that struggle to understand speech noisy situations. And there's like less than 30,000 hearing care professionals. Is my math about right there?

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah. Last time I looked, it was 24,000 in the US, and that's including both hearing instrument specialists and audiologists. But the number of people applying to get into audiology programs is on the decline. So, and the aging population is increasing. So we've got a big math problem here for sure. But as far as the customer journey is concerned, initially they'll schedule a free consultation to meet with one of our providers. And that's really just that initial case history, you know, tell us a little bit about what's going on. We see if they've already had a hearing test completed. If they have, and it's within the last six months, we have them go ahead and submit that to us. And typically we'll ask some questions beforehand. So they won't, if they've already had a hearing test, they'll typically show up to that consultation with it so we can review it with them. If they have not, then we want to start with a hearing test. And what's really amazing is that technology is increasing all the time. And with shoebox audiology, you can do air, bone, speech, speech and noise, which is really significant to be able to test. You can do the autoscopy. All of this can be done with a patient from the convenience of home. So whether they submit their own hearing test or we send them a testing kit to complete that at home, the first step is to have an assessment so we can make a clinical recommendation. From there, we make sure that they are an actual candidate. So if someone has a severe profound and they really need power devices or a cochlear implant evaluation, we make those recommendations to see an audiologist in person for further diagnostic eval. If somebody has an asymmetry or conductive component, again, we're referring out for medical. So as long as they're, you know, more of your traditional vanilla sensory neural hearing loss that is in that mild, moderate, down to severe, but not much more than that in the high frequencies, then we talk to them about treatment recommendations. And there's two different paths that a patient can choose. Some of them either they really say, okay, doctor, I want you to tell me what you think is best based on your experience and my loss. And then we move forward with an actual device selection. But some want to do our experience box. And that is where we send out three different sets of premium prescription technology that are first fit. So we're very clear with them. This is, you know, about an 85-90% correction. This is going to give you enough of a flavor and essence to be able to tell which of the three you prefer. And from there, we will order the technology and tailor it to your hearing loss. But in that case, we'll send an experience box with three different sets of devices. As you mentioned, we have one of our audiology assistants actually meet with them to do an unboxing to make sure that they feel comfortable with how to pair it to their phone, what apps they might need, different things that they should do to test drive those devices to ensure that the one that they're investing in is the one that's going to give them the most strength. And so those are kind of the two paths that most people choose.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And we always say here on the Hearing Matters podcast, helping patients and professionals make educated hearing health care decisions. As an audiologist and in partnership with your audiology assistants, you're helping these patients make an educated hearing health care decision. You're guiding them, you're walking with them. It's not that power struggle between professional and patient. Yes, you are the professional, but you're taking into account the data that you're collecting from their hearing evaluation. And I love that you're doing speech and noise testing because I am sure time and time again, Dr. Hecker, you've probably heard well, this is a great model for patients. You're increasing access, but what about real ear measurement? And as a hearing care professional, I would say that the professionals who are saying that, I am hoping that those are the individuals that are conducting real ear measurement because only about 15% of hearing care professionals are actually implementing real ear measurement. And it's probably a little less than that.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah. Yeah, but it is really interesting too because sometimes people will say to me, Oh my gosh, I never knew I had other options or other choices. Nothing else was ever shared with me. I don't know if that's actually best. Could I try three and see? And it's like, of course you can. And, you know, that the experience box, one of the big reasons why I started that process as well is I was taking my son out for frozen yogurt and he was, you know, trying the little samples before committing. And I'm like, wow, this kid can choose five different samples before committing to a six dollar frozen yogurt. And so rarely do patients even get informed that there are other choices or options. And I know the reasons for that, and I'm not trying to slam it, but it is something that our patients are now becoming more and more aware of. You know, with the access to the internet and the information, they're coming in saying, Oh, I've done a lot of research on this, or I've watched this video on YouTube about this technology. And so I think it's a really great gift for us as a profession to really up level our awareness, our skills, our ability to educate our patients because they are more educated than in the past. So it's it's an upleveling that I think has to happen across the board.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I appreciate that approach because putting my former private practice hat on, we were multi-line. Of course, you're you're more well-versed in probably two or three manufacturers versus maybe all five. But I will say, I mean, we had patients, Melanie, who would come in and who would ask about the different brands. And being read up on the different brands and the new technology, it was a very nice conversation. The patients appreciated that. And there were times where my recommendation wasn't in alignment with their discovery phase, if you will, but they trusted me because they said, Oh, okay, you understand the technology, truly, but my fear is that that's not happening too often in the industry today.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

I would agree with that. Also, one thing that's really blown my mind, and I can't wait, because at some point, I'm just manifesting it already, at some point in the future, I want to partner with the University of Washington Audiology program to do an assessment of the people that have gone through our experience box. Because, I mean, I've been an audiologist for 15 years. You know, we all kind of say, based on certain lifestyle, subjective things that people report and hearing losses, we're pretty good at saying, oh, I think you're gonna be best with X brand, right? Because of XYZ. And we know their fitting philosophies, we know the strengths and weaknesses of each tech. And it has been really shocking to me how often there's some very unique, interesting feature within the device. It's almost like this Goldilocks moment doing the experience box, where they know almost immediately which one of the three they like. I've actually been surprised at how rarely it's the one that I would have thought or guessed. So there is a really interesting subjective component that I think in Clinic we're missing right now. So the experience box has been very eye-opening to that. So I want to get more information on like what is it that helps choose which of those, and how could we better know as providers to increase satisfaction and retention rates with patients?

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

The Blue Moth model is prescription hearing aids rather than purely OTC. So patients today they can purchase hearing aids over the counter, they can go to Best Buy, put them in their selves. There's no help from a professional with that OTC model. What are the benefits of this hybrid direct-to-consumer with the addition of the professional support approach? I'd love to hear what some of your patients are saying about this.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Totally. So, you know, when I mentioned kind of that OTC and medical and finding this middle path, some of the aspects of OTC that are incorporated in this Blue Moth is obviously the accessibility, the amount of patients that we see on their lunch break from their car, doing a fine-tuning or tweaking adjustment, that they're in the convenience or comfort of home in the evening or the weekend. It's really fitting people's lifestyles. And a lot of our messaging and marketing really appeals to Gen Xers and young baby boomers. So it's shifting the age younger than what we typically see in brick and mortar clinics. So those are some of the nice aspects of that. But as far as the medical handheld boutique portions of it that we're incorporating, I mean, they're able to access our audiologists and our audiology assistants pretty much every single day of the week. If there's an issue, if there's a concern, it's more of an immediate care and action. And, you know, one of the things that we keep track of is how many days or hours is it to wait to see an AA, to see one of our audiologists, to ship something out. So as far as that convenience, I mean, I know at my brick and mortar, I was talking to one of my clinics, and the next available appointment that they have is six weeks. And so out in clinic, they might have to wait six weeks for an assessment, whereas here we could have a hearing test shipped to you within two days, you know? And so that's one of the beautiful benefits. But as far as the programming of the devices, we actually send a laptop and a NoahLink wireless, which for any non-audiologist is a programming interface that we use. It's a technological piece of equipment that helps us connect with hearing aids. So one of the things that we can do, Blaze, is, you know, one of the limitations of telehealth is that you can't always access all of the software features that you could within software through telehealth, through teleaudiology. But when you send a Noalink wireless and a laptop, you're able to have access to every single part of that software to do a really robust fine-tuning. You can do feedback testing, which you could not do otherwise. And so anytime someone's having a lot of challenges that are beyond what could be done or tweaked through telehealth, we'll be able to send out our programming test kit. So that's one of the benefits as well. Anytime that someone has a hearing aid that's down, we actually send out overnight a pair of loner devices for them with a return label for them to send us both of theirs. So yeah. So I mean, but these are things that OTC wouldn't have or offer.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Melanie, that's amazing.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

But to be honest with you, Blaze, very few private practices even do that, you know, to offer, like if something needs a repair, do they actually give them a set of loner devices? So we've really at Blue Moth, one of the things I'm super proud of is that we have a 90-minute meeting, all of our leadership where we all sit down and we basically whiteboard and data dump all of the issues, any tech issues, journey issues, consumer reported problems, and we spend 90 minutes just ideating and discussing and solving for them, always coming from the perspective of if I was this person, like golden rule, right? Like if I was the customer, how would I want to be treated? How would I want this to be handled? How can we exceed and blow everything else out of the water by just delivering best care of what that consumer and patient would need and want? So I'm really excited about the fact that there is this middle path option that was really never there before. And just the level of patient care and engagement and interaction across the lifetime of their devices is so much more consistent with what we offer at my brick and mortar clinics than what you would see with OTC. But yes, to your point, it is all premium prescription technology. We only sell top of the line, but we do it at a discounted price. So, you know, we're able to compete a little bit better with that OTC. We're not nearly in the five, six thousand dollar range, but significantly less than what you're typically seeing in brick and mortar. So it very much is that middle path. I kind of use the analogy: you have your Bergdorf Goodmans of the world, you have your salvation armies, and then you have your targets in the middle. We're kind of right there. We're that Nordstrom target.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Well, and and Melanie, again, I I appreciate this is by an audiologist. You're running five brick and mortar private practices. You see every day what these patients go through. I love the implementation of the loner devices. That was something at our private practice. We made sure, like, how many loners can we have? Because we both know when a patient's hearing aid goes down, someone with normal hearing, okay, we'll get this fixed, you know, maybe it'll be a week. That is their whole life. So I love the fact that you're continuing that access to hearing healthcare by sending them loaners. And when you were telling me about sending the laptop to the home with the NOAA link, all I could think about is how many engineers and musicians have you fit? Because the running joke in audiology is all I love our engineer patients. But I think it's great that at least you're running the feedback cancellation, which is essential. But there's also that dual sensory input for the patient when they're getting their hearing aids programmed. Because again, when I was fitting patients full time, we had the big screen and the technology suite. The patients saw everything I was doing from programming to real ear measurement, and they want to feel part of that journey. So I love that you're implementing that with Blue Moth. So here's like the big question that I'm sure a lot of our hearing care professionals have been waiting for. And I've been thinking about this a lot too. If patients are being fit via a home trial model, you know, how do you ensure that clinical best practices, for example, like really your measurement are applied?

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah. So this has been one of those challenges that we have been working to find solutions for. The very honest direct answer is at the moment, there is not a technological solution that we can lean on to be able to offer that service. It is unfortunately a sacrifice that is being made in this middle space. However, there's a few different ways that we are handling it. So at the current moment, if someone's really having quite a bit of challenge and we've done the, you know, at-home programming kit, et cetera, it is recommended to go to a local provider and have that testing performed. Now, obviously, that would be an out-of-pocket expense, but given the reduction of pricing, it's worth it if they're having troubles to be able to better dial in their settings. As you'd mentioned, unfortunately, there's so few providers that are providing that gold standard already and in clinics. But there's two different companies that we've been talking to, and this is where I get really excited about future and what's coming. So there is one where technically at this moment we could send the real ear testing equipment to someone's home. Why I don't feel comfortable doing that at this moment when it is available is that I don't have a lot of confidence or comfort in having an individual patient do this themselves. Are they going to get that probe tube placement where they need to? Because even in that, what'd you say, 15% that do it, are they getting the proper probe tube placement? And if you look at the research studies, even just a millimeter or two off, it can make a really big difference in impact in those settings. So I don't feel comfortable with the current solution that's available because I don't think that we would get proper results, anyways. And so really the only reason to do it would just to be to say, oh yeah, we do real ear, but I would have zero confidence in the actual results. And so I feel like that's not appropriate to our patients. It would be a disservice.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Melanie, I commend you for that. To your point, it's a disservice.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

I easily could. I easily could do it right now today. And to all those people who say, well, you don't do real ear, say, we checked the box. But why check the box if you're not actually doing it with integrity? The second one that I'm really excited about is this company, and it's a 3D ear scanner. And I've been in talks with them, and we're hopefully getting to a place where we can beta in the next year or two. But it basically looks like a handheld Otocope. It's about the same size or, you know, one of those things that you use to check your kids' temperature. But it's handheld, it's very small, lightweight, and portable, and it takes a 3D ear scan. One of the challenges right now is that it's very difficult to get an accurate 3D ear scan on your own. And so we're trying to work with them to gamify the app to where an end user could actually get a really strong 3D ear scan on their own. The reason why I love this is two reasons. One, we could start doing custom molds remotely, right? Because there's no way to safely do ear mold impressions on yourself at this time that I would even remotely contemplate doing for Blue Moth. And there's just certain things where it's like the liability and the integrity, it's just, it's not there, you know? And so, but with this, what we could do is if we got that 3D. The ear scan and then we closed it off at the aperture. We could mathematically get the volume of the ear canal and reverse engineer through math the reelier to coupler differences, do all of the real ear measures without the person being physically present. That's the direction that I would love to head because then there would be no probe that would have to be put in. So the closest thing that we're doing now is in-stitu measurements. But as we know, if there's any wax in the ear, depending on how they have everything set up, there can be a lot of variability there as well. So this is something that we're working on. We think about it a lot. But at this moment, if you know we're just saying very honestly, it's not a technology or a feature that we can offer at this time. But yeah, that is that is the biggest one where I'm always thinking, okay, how can we figure this out so we can have that gold standard? Because I feel like everything else in our customer journey is so customer-centric and care centric and above and beyond. It's very white glove. But this is a big component that's missing.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Yeah. Absolutely. But again, thank you, professional to professional, because I know you're conducting real ear measurement with all of your patients in the private practice, the boutique. You're at least thinking about how we can solve this problem. And I love that you currently have a referral pathway in place. Okay, this patient needs a little bit more clarity. Let's really get them to target. They're able to go to their local hearing care professional. While it might be and is an out-of-pocket fee, they're going to be appreciative of that. So thank you for being forward-thinking.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

But similarly, you know, at this moment, if someone does need custom ear molds for their hearing loss, like especially if they have a high frequency, that's just we're worried about can we actually provide them enough gain after feedback being done? Because there's only so much domes can do appropriately. Let's be honest. And a lot of people are being fit with them highly inappropriately. So we also refer out often to dispensers and audiologists to get those ear mold impressions done, have them mailed to us, and then we coordinate with the manufacturers to have that dialed in appropriately.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I I love that. Melanie, I always say, like, if I were to go back to 2017 when I started in practice, majority of my patients would have that custom component, even if it's a RIC, just because no ear canal is the same, right? So I love that you're also you have that as a referral pathway if someone needs custom molds connected to their RIC devices or you know, full custom devices. That's brilliant. What happens if during the home trial the patient perceives limited benefits? So reports continued speech and noise problems, maybe uncomfortable listening environments. How do you monitor that success and what are the steps taken there?

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah, so this is where I feel like it's very similar to what you would see if you were a patient at one of my brick and mortars. So we do the initial testing, we do the initial fitting during the delivery of the devices. You know, we're doing all of the initial fine-tuning, making sure, like, okay, which of the adaptation or acclimatization phases can we start you off at? We do any fine-tuning and tailoring that's needed, we do any frequency lowering or tinnitus or, you know, programming. So we do all of the initial assessment. We always see patients one to two weeks after for a follow-up. And so after they've had the ability to be out into the real world, what things are you liking? What things do you want fine-tuned or adjusted? So we do those settings at that time. And we're pretty hands-on and close, closely connected, especially for new users, for that first one to three months. But it is fully bundled, our service offerings. So anytime that they need anything, anytime that they need adjustments, tweakings, that any of that, we're available. So we can do it through that fine-tuning through the telehealth. And then, like I said, if it's more nuanced, that's when we send the programming kit. But as far as if there's anything beyond that within the 45-day trial where they're really struggling or not doing well, we want to make sure, okay, is this the proper technology for them? So sometimes what we'll do is if they truly are not successful or happy, we will send a different set. So we will say, okay, let's go ahead and before you send those back, let's have you try a second set of devices. Let's get those fine-tuned and adjusted and see if we need to do an exchange. Sometimes it's just the technology, but most of the time through programming adjustments and counseling, especially for new patients, realistic expectations, what should be adjusted? That's the path.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I love that. Now I'm curious because earlier we were talking about, well, making that recommendation of the technology for the patients, obviously, based on type and degree of hearing loss, social activity levels, speech and noise scores, A to Z. What criteria are you using? You know, technology level, connectivity, rechargeability, things of that nature.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah, so all of our devices now are rechargeable. All of them have Bluetooth connectivity. So that's not a big difference. We're really proud of the fact that as of this month, we now have five hearing aid manufacturers, not four. So at this moment, what we do is we are choosing the three. And I'll be very honest, it's mainly for fulfillment and logistics at this time as we're scaling. We choose the top three that are the most successful. So if we find that these, you know, so over the last few two years, we've really been doing assessments and whichever ones are getting chosen the most and have the best retention and success rates for patients, those are the three that are going in the box because of course we're gonna want them to have the ability to choose the strongest technology at this time. So we're choosing right now which three are going in there. However, in the next probably three to six months, we're gonna have a kind of like a build your own where you can actually click and drag which three technologies you want, or you can say provider selected. So it's almost like when you go to a sushi joint and you can either choose which ones, or you can have the sashimi platter that's chosen by the chef. So that's gonna be really fun. And I don't know if you've noticed too, in the experience box, they are test tubes that they come in. So the reason why I did that when I was choosing the initial design is I really believe about the power of one, the in of one. And I know in research, you want a really large in so it can have greater statistical significance. But in this particular methodology, I mean, yes, I want to understand all the research and nerd out on that, but at the end of the day, all that really matters is what works for you, Blaze, which one do you prefer, which one do you have the most success with? And so it's almost like this little cute experiment that you're doing for yourself within the experience box. So at this moment, we're choosing the three that have the best success rate, satisfaction scores, and retention. But soon we'll have the option because one of our big, you know, core missions is to empower the patient, to empower the consumer with these audiological guardrails. So, in order, instead of just saying we're gonna choose these three, we can either choose the three that have the greatest success right now, or maybe you're someone who's geeked out on the internet and you really have said, these are the three that I want to try. Like these are the three that I think I'm gonna like the most based on the YouTube and the hearing tracker and the hearing reviews. Like this, these are the ones I want to try. They can actually build their own box.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I appreciate the presentation. Obviously, I was doing a lot of research and the video of the at-home trial, because again, it's all about patient experience as well. You had mentioned white glove. So I'm excited because you're creating greater access to hearing health care with the professionals still involved, built by professional. And I truly believe that as hearing care professionals, for those brick and mortar shops tuned in, maybe it's time to kind of reassess what your clinic aesthetics look like. Like, how does it look? What does your display case look like? So I really appreciated the fact that it was so clean and crisp and provided a great experience for that patient. You are absolutely an innovator, future forward thinker. Tiny bit of a forward look. It seems like far away, but as we move toward 2030, I can't even think about that. You know, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of hearing healthcare. How do you see models like Blue Moth really evolving, you know, maybe in terms of integration with clinics, in-office care, even, you know, remote programming and validation, REM, all that fun stuff. You know, do you see a hybrid model? What is the future forward future plans? I'd love to know.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Yeah, so I definitely, I'm just gonna put it out there. By 2030, I want there to definitely be a real year solution that we can do through teleaudiology. I think that the patients deserve it. We need it. So I definitely want that by 2030. And I think I I feel confident we'll be able to get there. As far as hybrid model, it is interesting in you know, watching other DTC models. You know, let's let's take Warby Parker, for example. They now have hundreds, probably thousands, maybe, you know, of brick and mortar locations. And so in my pathway, do I potentially see that happening? Yes, very likely. Or having some kind of network because it's so interesting. I get a lot of messages from providers across the US asking if Blue Moth will partner for certain things. I was at a conference recently and I found out that there's 97 audiology job offerings in Georgia at this moment. Like, and I think it was just in the Atlanta area. And so there is a massive shortage of providers. It can't be just Atlanta. Maybe it was the whole state. I don't remember, but it was Georgia for sure, was the state. And they're like, there's 97 people. We do not have nearly enough. Like, would Blue Moff be willing to do all of our testing? And then we can treat the patients. And so there's a lot of different people that reach out trying to create a network. And so that might be potentially something in the future where we can partner with these people, or we can partner with these clinics who know that they have snowbirds or don't want to do the telehealth portions. I recently spoke at a conference really teaching on the importance of telehealth and how to integrate that into private practice. Cause I mean, I really do believe that this is a need. And so, you know, I've I've created the model over the last few years. I figured out how to make this happen. And I think more brick and mortars need to be doing this. So, you know, instead of seeing Blue Moth as a potential competitor, it's saying, okay, well, obviously people really want this access. How can I deliver this and enhance my skills as a private practice owner and my service offerings? So hopefully this inspires some people to see the need and to be able to be empowered. I mean, there's nothing stopping people from being able to offer telehealth services in their own in their own clinics as well. But I would say in 2030, I think our biggest, our biggest difference would either be having some kind of referral network or having brick and mortar ourselves, where patients could come to a physical location if needed. But otherwise, at the moment, all of my focus is really how can we make this experience as strong and full of integrity as possible. And really the weakest link at this moment is that real component and figuring out how we can do that remotely through telehealth and then being able to provide more access over time.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Melanie, I so appreciate your passion, your excitement for not only the industry, but for best practices and patient care. And I'm just super excited for your continued success, both with your brick and mortar shops and of course Blue Moth Hearing. Lastly, for our hearing care professional audience who may be hearing this and maybe they're wondering, you know, is this a model I should watch, partner with, or even refer to? Like what would you tell them?

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

I mean, I kind of similar to the last question. I definitely think it's one of those things where we should always be thinking, how can I know better now, do better? So are there certain things that you could be enhancing or doing to actually deliver on that not only best practices, but what is also most convenient for the patient? Yes, they may come into the brick and mortar, they may do the real air at this time, but are they a pilot who would be better cared for, being able to have telehealth while they're away? How can we give more access to those that are living in different states at different times? One area that was not at all the reason why I created the Blue Moth, but that we see often is there are so many elderly patients who are immobile. And their sons and daughters who are caregiving for them have to take off time from work and get them to and from a clinic. And it's a very stressful, tense situation that creates a lot of pressure for both involved. How can we, as long as a younger person is there or a tech savvy person is there, how can we let that person stay home and be comfortable and not have to transition? Um, so thinking about all of these kinds of things, but also, yes, I mean, there are times where there's certain patients that come to us at Blue Moth where we say you need to be seen in a private practice because that fits your need. There are times in my brick and mortar where I say, yes, if what you care about the most is cost, go to Costco. Like, you know what I mean? And so I do think that there's a certain point where if you really are leading with integrity and if your number one goal is matching the best treatment recommendation with that particular individual's needs, there probably are a lot of people that individuals are seeing in clinic that would be better served by Blue Moth because of the lifestyle or the financial limitations of that particular individual. So just opening their minds, hopefully, to the possibility of, you know, seeing it less as competition and how can we serve the greater good? And the greater good is how can we get more people who have hearing loss that are not taking action? How can we get them to take action now?

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Dr. Melanie Hecker, founder of Blue Moth Hearing. To learn more, visit BlueMothhearing.com. That's blue, spelt like the color, M-O-T-H-E-A-R-I-N-G.com. Melanie, thank you so much for joining me on the Hearing Matters podcast.

Dr. Melanie Hecker:

Thanks, Blaze.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Until next time, hear life story.

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Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS

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