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Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: A Lost Decade for Change
Joint Authors
Chan, Zoe Yee Ting
McPherson, Bradley
Source
Issue
Vol. 2015, Issue 2015 (31 Dec. 2015), pp.1-15, 15 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2015-10-18
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
15
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Background.
Hearing aids sold directly to consumers in retail stores or through the internet, without individual prescription by audiological professionals, are termed over-the-counter (OTC) devices.
This study aimed to determine whether there was any change in the electroacoustic characteristics of OTC devices compared to research carried out a decade earlier.
The previous results indicated that most OTC devices were low-frequency-emphasis devices and were unsuitable for elderly people with presbycusis, who were likely to be the major consumers of these products.
Methods.
Ten OTC devices were selected and their electroacoustic performance was measured.
Appropriate clients for the OTC devices were derived, using four linear prescription formulae, and OTC suitability for elderly persons with presbycusis was investigated.
Results.
OTC electroacoustic characteristics were similar to those in the earlier study.
Most OTC devices were not acoustically appropriate for potential consumers with presbycusis.
Although several of the devices could match prescriptive targets for individuals with presbycusis, their poor electroacoustic performance—including ineffective volume control function, high equivalent input noise, and irregular frequency response—may override their potential benefit.
Conclusion.
The low-cost OTC devices were generally not suitable for the main consumers of these products, and there has been little improvement in the appropriateness of these devices over the past decade.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Chan, Zoe Yee Ting& McPherson, Bradley. 2015. Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: A Lost Decade for Change. BioMed Research International،Vol. 2015, no. 2015, pp.1-15.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1056894
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Chan, Zoe Yee Ting& McPherson, Bradley. Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: A Lost Decade for Change. BioMed Research International No. 2015 (2015), pp.1-15.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1056894
American Medical Association (AMA)
Chan, Zoe Yee Ting& McPherson, Bradley. Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: A Lost Decade for Change. BioMed Research International. 2015. Vol. 2015, no. 2015, pp.1-15.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1056894
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1056894