Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids: Trends in Information-Seeking Behavior

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Public Health
• Health Policy

Background:

• The recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids marks a significant policy shift.
• This change impacts the landscape of hearing-assistive technology accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in public information-seeking behavior following the FDA's OTC hearing aid ruling.
• To understand shifts in online search queries related to hearing health.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Google Trends to extract relative search volume (RSV) for hearing health topics.
• Compared mean RSV for hearing-related queries in the two weeks before and after the FDA ruling using a paired samples t-test.

Main Results:

• A 212.5% increase in hearing-related queries was observed on the day of the FDA approval.
• A statistically significant 25.6% increase in mean RSV for "hearing aids" occurred post-ruling (p = .02).
• Top search interests included specific hearing aid brands and cost; rural states showed higher query proportions.

Conclusions:

• The FDA's OTC hearing aid decision prompted a substantial rise in public information seeking.
• Understanding these search trends is crucial for effective patient counseling and enhancing access to hearing assistive devices.
• Future strategies should address the specific information needs identified, particularly regarding device cost and brand options.