Over-the-counter hearing aids will be coming to the market soon, but results from a new poll by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) reveals a lack of knowledge about who these products will be intended for and how they should be used, pointing to an educational gap.

Among the key findings of the poll, conducted among US adults ages 40 and over between September 22-29, 2021:

• Only 29% of respondents have heard about OTC hearing aids.
• 42% said that they would be unwilling to purchase an OTC hearing aid.
• 48% are not confident that they could program their own hearing aid.
• 58% are unsure whether OTCs are intended only for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
• 83% said it would be extremely or very important to know which technology options would be most appropriate for their hearing loss before buying a hearing aid.
• 42% said the leading factor that would influence their purchase of an OTC hearing aid would be a recommendation from a medical professional; cost was a distant second (18%).

"It is critical that the public understands what these products can and cannot do—and who should be using them and how," said Charles E. Bishop, AuD, PhD, CCC-A, ASHA Board Member at Large in Audiology. "We don't want people to further damage their hearing by purchasing a device that will over-amplify sound. We also don't want to see people purchasing devices that are not strong enough for their hearing loss."

For more details on the survey, click here

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