In your search for information about hearing testing and hearing aids, you will come across a few acronyms that require a bit of explanation. Let’s take a quick look at a few:

RHAP — Registered Hearing Aid Practitioner

In Canada, a Registered Hearing Aid Practitioner is registered with a provincial regulatory authority and certified to provide and fit hearing aids/devices. In Manitoba, the Manitoba Consumer Protection Office – Hearing Aid Board, is the regulatory authority.

LIAT — Licenced Industrial Audiometric Technician

In Manitoba, industrial audiometric technicians are governed by Workplace Safety and Health Regulation Part 12: Hearing Conservation and Noise Control. These individuals must hold a valid licence issued by the director of Workplace Safety and Health and undergo ongoing training. An LIAT is licensed to perform industrial audiometric hearing tests and recommend appropriate hearing protection devices.

CHIPS — Canadian Hearing Instrument Practitioners Society

From the CHIPS website, “The Canadian Hearing Instrument Practitioners Society (CHIPS) is the national professional organization for Hearing Instrument Practitioners who provide hearing healthcare services for hard of hearing people in Canada.” You can learn more about the society at the CHIPS website.

BC-HIS — Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences

The acronym BC-HIS indicates that a hearing aid practitioner is certified by the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences.