About Dave
As Chief Hearing Health Officer at Starkey, Dave Fabry, Ph.D., studies and educates on the link between hearing loss and other health issues such as dementia, depression, and overall well-being. He works closely with the clinical audiology department to develop innovations to best meet patient needs, as well as with our engineering and marketing teams to help Starkey continue to design and provide superior products with the understanding that hearing care is health care. Dave Fabry received his Ph.D. in hearing science from the University of Minnesota. Subsequently, he divided his career between academic/clinical roles at the Mayo Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the University of Miami Medical Center, and several industry positions. He served as President and Board Member of the American Academy of Audiology and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Auditory Society. Additionally, Dave Fabry has served as Editor-in-Chief of Audiology Today and the American Journal of Audiology, and as Section Editor of Ear and Hearing. He is licensed as an Audiologist in Minnesota, Florida, and Rwanda.
Session Details
Fix the Conversation, Not the Device: A Practical Approach to Reducing Hearing Aid Returns
Hearing aid returns rarely happen because of the device itself. More often, they are the result of misaligned expectations, rushed conversations, or patients moving forward before they are truly ready. While technology continues to improve, return rates remain a persistent challenge that impacts patient trust, clinician confidence, and practice sustainability. This session reframes hearing aid returns as a front-end communication and process issue rather than a technical failure. Drawing from real-world private practice experience and consistently low return rates, this presentation explores how the earliest conversations, often before the fitting even begins, play a decisive role in long-term success. Through guided discussion, live demonstrations, and small-group role-play exercises, attendees will practice practical communication strategies they can immediately implement in their own clinics. The session remains manufacturer-neutral and patient-centered, emphasizing ethical care, stronger engagement, and improved long-term outcomes. By the end of this session, participants will leave with a repeatable framework for improving conversations, strengthening patient alignment, and meaningfully reducing hearing aid returns without relying on new products, technology, or sales tactics.
Attend this session and you’ll learn how to:
- Define how front-end best practices in patient communication and expectation setting directly influence hearing aid return rates.
- Identify common process and counseling missteps that unintentionally increase the likelihood of hearing aid returns.
- Apply evidence-informed, patient-centered communication strategies that positively impact long-term hearing aid use and satisfaction.
- Differentiate between technical challenges and readiness or expectation isues when evaluating patient outcomes.
- Implement practical consultation frameworks that support ethical decision-making, shared responsibility, and reduced return risk.