Evaluation of the Self-Fitting Process with a Commercially Available Hearing Aid

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Self-fitting hearing aids and personal sound amplification products are increasingly available online.
• These devices are marketed as affordable alternatives to traditional hearing healthcare.
• Little is known about users' ability to successfully manage these self-fitting devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate adults' ability to set up commercially available self-fitting hearing aids.
• To identify factors associated with successful self-fitting of hearing aids.

Main Methods:

• An interventional study involving 40 adults with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
• Participants (20 experienced, 20 new users) followed written instructions for a multistep self-fitting procedure.
• Cognitive function, health literacy, locus of control, hearing aid self-efficacy, and manual dexterity were assessed.

Main Results:

• 55% of participants successfully self-fitted their hearing aids.
• Experienced users made more errors in hearing tests and fine-tuning; new users made more errors in physical customization and insertion.
• Partner assistance did not significantly influence the outcome, and no single characteristic reliably predicted success.

Conclusions:

• While many users can complete the self-fitting process, professional support is more effective than layperson assistance.
• Improving instructions and the physical design of hearing aids could enhance user success rates.
• Further research should evaluate the growing market of self-fitting hearing aids.