Barriers and Facilitators to OTC Hearing Aids Success

Although hearing aids (HAs) can improve hearing ability, communication, social and emotional function, and quality of life for people with hearing loss, the adoption rate of HAs is low. A commonly reported barrier to HA uptake is that HAs are not affordable or accessible under the traditional service delivery model, which requires multiple visits to licensed audiologists for identification of hearing loss, customization of the HAs, and continual maintenance and fine-tuning. This hearing healthcare pathway is referred to as the AUD pathway. As an alternative, over-the-counter (OTC) HAs aim to promote earlier HA adoption and improve HA affordability and accessibility. In this healthcare pathway, referred to as the OTC pathway, users self-diagnose hearing loss and fit and program their OTC HAs. Although prior research has supported the feasibility of HA self-fitting and the OTC service-delivery model, little is known about how the OTC pathway impacts users' long-term well-being. The goal of this study is to characterize the patient journey of individuals who opt for the OTC pathway in comparison to those who select the AUD pathway. The study is a two-site (Iowa City, IA, and Nashville, TN) longitudinal study in which participants choose their preferred healthcare pathways (OTC vs. AUD), and their HA outcomes are tracked for 12 months. Adults with bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss are recruited from the community. Upon entering the study, participants choose their preferred pathway and then proceed with the purchase of HAs. In the OTC pathway, participants purchase their chosen OTC HAs directly from OTC companies or retailers. In the AUD pathway, prescription HAs and fitting services are offered by the audiology clinics at the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Participants are contacted 1, 6, and 12 months after they begin using their HAs. During each contact, HA outcomes (e.g., HA satisfaction) are measured if participants continue using HAs. If participants have abandoned or under-utilized their HAs, their engagement with post-amplification hearing healthcare behaviors (e.g., seeking HAs again) is assessed. The data from the OTC and AUD pathways are then compared.