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Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: A Lost Decade for Change
Zoe Yee Ting Chan1, Bradley McPherson1
1Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Biomed Research International
|November 12, 2015
Summary
Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids remain largely unsuitable for elderly individuals with hearing loss. Despite a decade passing, these devices show little improvement in electroacoustic performance for presbycusis patients.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Hearing Healthcare Technology
Background:
- Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are sold directly to consumers without professional prescription.
- Previous research indicated OTC devices were often low-frequency-emphasis and unsuitable for elderly individuals with presbycusis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess changes in electroacoustic characteristics of OTC hearing aids compared to a decade prior.
- To evaluate the suitability of current OTC devices for elderly individuals with presbycusis.
Main Methods:
- Ten OTC hearing aid devices were selected for electroacoustic performance measurement.
- Suitability for elderly individuals with presbycusis was assessed using four linear prescription formulae.
Main Results:
- Electroacoustic characteristics of current OTC devices are similar to those from ten years ago.
- Most OTC devices are acoustically inappropriate for potential consumers with presbycusis.
- Poor performance (e.g., ineffective volume control, high noise, irregular frequency response) limits potential benefits.
Conclusions:
- Low-cost OTC hearing aids are generally not suitable for their primary consumers, the elderly with presbycusis.
- There has been minimal improvement in the appropriateness of OTC hearing aids over the last decade.
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