Hoyrnin uses a self-screening solution in the clinic and in close collaboration with local companies who want to screen their employees’ hearing as part of their health programs. Helgadóttir has secured agreements with local companies, including the largest bank on the Faroe Islands, who use her iPad hearing screener with Auditdata Engage (also known as Listo) for two weeks at a time for employees to conduct self-screenings.
As part of these partnerships, Helgadóttir visits the companies to talk with the employees about how hearing and general health are intertwined. She explains
- why employees need to have good hearing,
- how this is related to health benefits (such as lowering stress), and
- how it can help enhance their lives (e.g., allowing them to hear conversations properly, allowing them to hear instructions at work, helping them hear better in meetings, letting them fully enjoy television and music, etc.)
The employees also have the benefit of free hearing screenings at their workplace, allowing them to assess (and treat) any hearing issues. The arrangement is a win-win for all parties involved.
How the hearing screening flows work
If the self-screening results indicate that an employee has a hearing loss, they receive an email from Hoyrnin that advises them to book an appointment for a more comprehensive hearing examination. This effort has been a highly effective way to engage with potential customers, drive traffic to the clinic, and increase sales. It also helps the employees identify hearing losses and take care of their hearing health, allowing them to get treatment or take protective actions right away.
In addition to providing employees with notifications if they have hearing loss, Helgadóttir also gathers data and provides a report for each partnering company. This helps the companies’ leadership understand what percentage of their employees have normal hearing vs. hearing loss. With that information, many of them take actions to protect the hearing of their employees.
Helgadóttir said it’s wise to promote health in the workplace. During her onsite presentations, she discusses ways that companies can take care of their employees’ health. She’s also working to eliminate any stigma around hearing loss and hearing aids.
Additionally, she advocates for companies to buy molded hearing protection for their employees who work in noisy environments. She offers customized molded hearing protection in addition to hearing aids.
How is it going?
Hoyrnin started offering the portable hearing screener to companies in August 2021, and now they have a waiting list of businesses who want to use it. As a result of these workplace screenings with Engage, Hoyrnin is getting more bookings at the clinic and boosting sales of hearing aids and hearing protection. From August to October 2021, Hoyrnin has sold 140 molded hearing protections solely to companies participating in this hearing screening program.
In the future, Hoyrin is planning to use Engage even more actively. Helgadóttir will have a drop-in clinic with a self-screening room onsite. “People will be able to come in and screen their ears. If they have a hearing loss, we can see them for a more comprehensive exam and hearing aids,” she explained. Like the self-screeners at local companies, she expects this effort to boost the number of qualified leads and increase sales.