A hearing aid stethoscope is an instrument used to listen to a hearing aid to determine if it is working properly. This is commonly used by a hearing healthcare professional to check whether a hearing aid is functioning. It requires them to wear a stethoscope in their ears while holding the end of the stethoscope over the opening, or receiver, of the hearing aid. They will then speak into the microphone of the hearing aid. If they do no hear their voice through the stethoscope, the hearing aid is not working properly. It can also be used to pick up a malfunctioning hearing aid.
Hearing aid stethoscopes may also be provided to parents of young children who wear hearing aids. This allows them to monitor whether the hearing aid is functioning before putting it into the child’s ear.