Self-fit over-the-counter hearing aids beneficial in long term, says study

For individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, self-fit over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids offer comparable long-term benefits to audiologist-fit hearing aids, according to a study published online July 11 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Karina C. De Sousa, Ph.D., from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and colleagues compared long-term self-reported outcomes at eight months of self-fit OTC hearing aids to the same hearing aids fit by audiologists in a follow-up comparative effectiveness research study. Overall, 44 of the 64 participants in the original trial were included in this extension study.

The researchers found that at long-term follow-up, there were no significant differences in the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) global score or the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) total score between the self-fit and audiologist-fit groups. No clinically meaningful group-time interaction was observed between the groups for the APHAB global score from six weeks to eight months, but there was a significant interaction for the IOI-HA total score (Cohen d, −0.6), with generally better performance seen for the self-fit group.

"Given the low uptake and use of hearing aids, even among those with adequate access to audiological resources, these results are promising for persons with mild-to-moderate hearing loss seeking more accessible and affordable hearing care," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to hearX Group, which partially funded the study. Funding was also provided by R21/R33 mobile technologies.

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