LM209 - Beyond Good, Better, Best Technology Tiers: How New Features Are Changing the Selection Process

Abstract:
As hearing aids have gotten more technically complex, how they are selected by audiologists and patients in the clinic has remained largely unchanged for more than 50 years. The so-called tiered approach in which audiologists recommend one of three or more technology levels to patients, at ascending price points, is supported by little evidence. This course will review recent studies that have assessed how patient preference drives the hearing aid selection process, new tools that evaluate patient preference, and how new-generation hearing aids with smartphone-enabled apps have the potential to change the good/best/best selection paradigm.

Summary:
Persons with hearing loss have an unprecedented range of hearing aid features to choose from including over-the-counter devices. Options such as Bluetooth streaming, wearer-controlled apps, varying form factors and a wide array of processing strategies tend to complicate the hearing aid selection process. This course will discuss how new-generation hearing aids, complete with AI-driven features, rechargeable batteries, and direct streaming, lead to sizeable quality-of-life improvements for many wearers. Additionally, the course will provide a foundation for how clinicians can move away from the traditional good/better/best technology selection process to a more patient-centered process that considers candidacy for new-generation hearing aids using recently published peer-reviewed research.