Removing earwax by the audiologist – how the Dutch healthcare landscape could change radically within 24 months

Before 2024, it was thought by all parties involved – ENT surgeons, audiologists and general practitioners alike – that earwax removal was a medically reserved treatment that therefore only medical professionals were allowed to perform. This discouraged audiologists from removing wax, despite the heart’s desire to do so: to be able to help clients on the spot immediately rather than having to refer them and add them to the growing waiting lists at ENT surgeons and general practitioners.

This cost everyone an unnecessary amount of time and put the audiologist at risk of the customer ending up at another hearing store.

After further research and discussion with several market participants, our conclusion was that earwax removal is a treatment that certainly carries inherent risks, but can be done by non-medical professionals under certain conditions. Here are the main conditions:

• You have to use proper equipment just like the ENT doctor with a (head carried) binocular microscope and microsuction;
• you must be well and properly trained preferably by ENT doctors themselves and certified;
• you record the treatment in a client file that allows you to demonstrate that you have performed the treatment properly – ideally you record the treatment with videos before and after.

During the course of 2023, we prepared ourselves to finally launch at the end of 2023: we selected the right equipment, put together the Dry Ear Canal Cleaning training for Hearing Care Professionals and developed a medical record – the EarcareDossier – that also enables ENT supervision, underset tuning and remote support. And we found the first hearing care professionals with an entrepreneurial mindset who took the plunge with us.

Meanwhile, hearing care professionals in more than 130 hearing studios safely and successfully remove earwax with our methodology and approach.

Although ENT doctors were initially reluctant to watch this development, they are now extremely enthusiastic and often actively encourage hearing stores in their area to begin removing wax from people with “healthy ears.”

It relieves pressure on the healthcare system, shortens waiting lists and they can focus their attention on people who really need their expert medical attention.

General practitioners are now also very positive about this development. They realize that their irrigation method is old-fashioned, riskier, often less effective, cannot be used in all ears, requires extra work (drip first) and is perceived as unpleasant. However, changing requires an investment with a questionable financial payback for them.

So they started actively referring people who really don’t want their ears sprayed out anymore or with difficult ear canals but otherwise healthy ears to hearing stores in the area (they do this through www.earwaxshop.com).