This is a checklist of criteria that each client must meet in order to use Oticon RemoteCare.

The client must:

1. Be ≥ 18 years old

2. Be able to communicate with the hearing care professional in a shared language

3. Have an active email address

4. Have Oticon hearing aids with 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® (i.e. BTE, BTE PP, BTE SP, BTE UP, miniRITE, miniRITE R, miniRITE T, miniBTE R, miniBTE T, ITC, ITE HS or ITE FS)

5. Have access to wireless Internet with a minimum bandwidth of 1/1 Mbit/s

6. Have an Android phone with an operating system of 8.0 or higher or have an iPhone model with an iOS version of at least 15.0 and an Apple ID and password

7. Meet the following required mobile device skills:

On their smartphone, the client uses applications, receives/sends emails, and knows how to connect to Wi-Fi

It is important to ensure you get each client set up and ready while they are with you in your clinic.

We recommend the following steps to ensure that the client is set up for RemoteCare use:

Materials to share

Print out and give the following materials to the client:

Oticon Companion App instructions for use

In addition, introduce your client to the Oticon RemoteCare support webpage for hearing aid users 

Smartphone and app

Set up the Oticon Companion app on the client’s smartphone.

Show your client how to:

1. Connect to Bluetooth®

2. Pair their smartphone with their hearing aids. For Android devices pair through the app and for iOS devices pair through the Hearing Aid section of the Apple device.

 Be sure to:

• Note down the client’s email address (remember to check that the email address is the same one the client uses to log in to the app)

• Run a quick RemoteCare visit and show them how to use the Oticon Companion app to access RemoteCare

• Schedule a time for the first RemoteCare appointment

Technical requirements

• PC camera or external camera (webcam)

• Microphone and speakers or headset

• Wi-Fi with a recommended speed of 1/1 Mbit/s

• Email account

Enable Oticon RemoteCare in Genie

1. Create an Oticon RemoteCare account: Open the Oticon RemoteCare invitation email sent by your local representative and follow the instructions

2. Go to Preferences > Edit preferences > Customize Software section > Oticon RemoteCare tab

3. Select TURN ON Oticon RemoteCare

Set your stage

Please ensure the following requirements are met before using Oticon RemoteCare:

• Set up the video so there are minimal visual distractions for the client (if possible, avoid windows and high traffic areas)

• Select a quiet location that ensures there are minimal audible distractions

• Ensure all technical requirements are met

• Check that the computer camera, microphone, and speakers are working

• Position yourself close to the microphone to achieve the best sound quality (headset recommended)

• Avoid shuffling or fiddling with paper during the session, as this can negatively affect the sound quality

• Position yourself in front of the camera so the client can clearly see your face and lips

• Speak in a clear and measured tone, checking in with client regularly to make sure there are no issues with the connection or audio

• Use your clinical judgement to determine if the client needs to come into the clinic to address their issues

At the time of the appointment, open Genie 2 and select the client’s file.

1. Click the RemoteCare box in the lower left corner of the screen.

2. Enter your hearing care professional credentials and click ‘SIGN IN’.

3. Enter client account details and press ‘CONTINUE’.

4. Once the client is in the virtual waiting room, click ‘START AN APPOINTMENT’ when you are ready.

Note: It is only possible to start a session when the client is already present/has started an appointment.

Use RemoteCare communicator to communicate with your client

a) Hearing aid status indicators

b) Enable/disable camera

c) Mute/unmute microphone

d) Enables text messaging and communication via audio and video between you and your client

e) Upload button

f) Refresh video

Having problems?

Go to Troubleshoot – During the session

Make sure client can see and hear you clearly.

Make sure client went through the Companion app instructions for use.

Ask your client:

• Did the usage of RemoteCare through the Companion app go smoothly?

• Did they change the hearing aid batteries?

• Did they charge their smartphone?

• Evaluate the general experience with their hearing aids

• Evaluate if the clients need cannot be met using RemoteCare (e.g. need for otoscopy) 

Go to Troubleshoot – During the session

1. Click ‘CONNECT’ to detect and connect to the client’s hearing aids. The status indicators turn green when the hearing aids are connected. Please note the connection process may take up to several minutes.

The connection status of the hearing aids is indicated in three places:

a) Connection Bar

b) Oticon RemoteCare Communicator.

2. Fit the client’s hearing aids as you would do normally, if needed.

In Situ Audiometry is now available to use during RemoteCare appointments, please follow the recommended best practices to obtain accurate In-situ Audiometry results via RemoteCare:

• Ensure your patient is in an environment with no noise
• Instruct your patient to wear the hearing aids correctly, as advised in the first fitting appointment
• Ensure you turn off your microphone to avoid any unwanted noise, as it could impact results
• To compensate for possible delays in connection, play tones for at least two seconds and with longer than normal pauses (preferably more than two seconds) between the tones presented to the patient

3. Click ‘UPLOAD’ to upload the new settings to the hearing aids.

4. Once all desired changes have been made, click ‘DISCONNECT’. The hearing aids will be disconnected from Genie 2 and will restart.

Note: You can also disconnect the hearing aids from the END FITTING screen.

5. Go to the END FITTING screen and click ‘SAVE AND EXIT’/’SAVE AND GO TO CLIENT STEP’ to save and end the session with the client.

Go to Troubleshoot – During the session

• Inform the client that you should be the one to end and disconnect the session, in order to make sure that all necessary changes have been made and saved.

• Go to the END FITTING screen and click ‘SAVE AND EXIT’/’SAVE AND GO TO CLIENT STEP’ to save and end the session with the client.

Go to Troubleshoot – If a session ends

• Ensure you have not disabled your camera in the RemoteCare Communicator

• Ensure your camera is not covered

• Ensure your camera is set as default device in Windows before opening Genie 2. Do this in Window Device Manager. Restart Genie 2 if you have made any changes after opening Genie 2

• Refresh the video by pressing the video refresh button in the upper right corner of the RemoteCare Communicator

• Ensure that no other programs that use video are running (E.g. Skype). Close the other program and restart Genie 2

This relates to the quality of your webcam. If the quality is poor, you might consider upgrading your webcam.

Either your client has an upload bandwidth that is below the recommended 1/1 Mbit/s, or you have a download bandwidth that is below the recommended 1/1 Mbit/s.

If the video quality is very poor, ask your client to disable video, then disable your own video and continue the visit using audio and chat.

• Ensure your client has not disabled the video function in the app

• Refresh the video by pressing the video refresh button in the upper right corner of the RemoteCare Communicator

• Ensure that the user has allowed the Companion app to use video.

Please note: changing setting during a visit will restart RemoteCare through the Companion app.

• Ensure your loudspeaker volume and computer volume are not muted

• Ensure that the user has allowed the Companion app to use their microphone.

Please note: changing setting during visit will restart RemoteCare through the Companion app.

• Ensure your client has followed the guidelines for preparing for the visit (hearing aids paired with phone, new batteries, Bluetooth turned on, etc.)

• Go to the family/selection screen and detect the hearing aids before connecting.

• If the problem persists, you both need to restart the visit from both sides. Client side: Power off the smartphone and re-start the smartphone, then open RemoteCare via the Companion app and enter the appointment. Hearing care professional: Close Genie 2 and re-open it, then start the session again.

If settings are successfully uploaded to the hearing aids but something went wrong in Genie 2, then the changed settings are saved in the hearing aids but not in Genie 2. This will cause a pop-up in the following visit advising you of a settings mismatch.

You should always choose the hearing aids settings in this pop-up, unless you are certain you have made changes in Genie 2 that are stored in Genie but have not been uploaded to the hearing aids.

Try to connect to the session again to get a mutual agreement with your client. If your client disconnected, wait for your client to join if you expect he/she will try to rejoin.

In both cases, the hearing aids are OK and can be used. The settings from the last upload (or initial fitting, if you did not upload any settings) are in the hearing aids.

Try to connect to the appointment again. If you cannot re-establish the connection, contact your client and make a new appointment.

Please ask your client to:

• Ensure Bluetooth is enabled

• Ensure new batteries are inserted or charged

• Ensure the hearing aids (both L and R) are paired with the phone

• Restart RemoteCare in the Companion app again. Go to “Connect your hearing aids”.

• If recovery mode initiates in the app, follow the guidance in the app

If the hearing aids still seems broken and client can no longer use the hearing aids, then the standard warranty and return policy for hearing aids applies.