Although there are a number of options for adults with hearing loss to cope better in different situations depending on their specific case, at the beginning of their journey most are aware of only two – getting professionally fitted with hearing aids or doing nothing. All too often people choose the latter.
There are few resources that guide people in a way that makes them aware of all the options, then help them feel both informed and comfortable about the decision they ultimately make. For this, the HearChoice project was created.
Addressing a confusing landscape
There are a lot of confusing messages out there, especially with the globalization of direct-to-consumer (DTC) devices of highly variable quality. Some consumers may see these as a third option but don’t know how to decide if they would be of benefit or not. It isn’t enough to just say “always start with a professional consult.” That approach has not been working well, and consumers face many barriers to informed decision making.
HearChoice, an evidenced-based, co-designed, and unbiased app that guides the consumer through the landscape, is designed specifically to result in an informed decision. In many cases that may be booking a visit to an audiology clinic. For that reason, hearing care professionals (HCPs), alongside adults with hearing loss, have provided key input in the development of HearChoice.
Team lead Dr. Melanie Ferguson, Associate Professor in Brain and Hearing at Curtin University in Australia, discussed this at the Future of Hearing Healthcare virtual conference on May 14th. She described that when HearChoice is implemented by clinics pre- or post-intake, “we anticipate this will lead to higher take-up of hearing healthcare. Because people have a better experience this is more likely to lead to higher retention of clients.”
Those that initially do not see an HCP, perhaps opting for non-device options such as communication or wellbeing support, have still begun their journey in a more educated and thoughtful way. Therefore, they are in a better position to evaluate and modify their path as needed going forward.
HearChoice guides the user down a path beginning with education and leading to a decision how to go forward in their hearing journey. © HearChoice, used with permission
An evidence-based decision tool
HearChoice is funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) under grant number 2015748 to support evidence-based hearing health services. The project encompasses four stages including needs analysis, involvement of consumers and professional stakeholders in the app development, evaluating clinical effectiveness, and implementation.
End-user feedback in the development phases has been excellent. User-acceptance testing has shown HearChoice to be highly usable, useful, and impactful with an average star rating of 4.5 (1-5) and all participants indicating they would recommend HearChoice to others. This success cleared the way for a clinically-registered randomized controlled trial which started in May. Details can be found at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry under number ACTRN 12624001139561p.
“HearChoice felt like I had a personal coach assisting me – it breathed non-judgmental, no hard sell, no pontificating, no bias, with simple empathetic language”
– 66 year-old HearChoice participant with hearing difficulties
Covering all the options
Because there is so much information – and misinformation – about hearing loss and its management, all options must be covered in an objective and non-biased way. HearChoice educates users about 11 different possibilities including hearing devices, auditory training, support options, or doing nothing.
Even those who choose the last option will be better informed of the consequences and possible actions to take later, after further reflection.
After considering what is important to them, users are presented with a high-level overview of all available hearing health options. More details are presented for those they mark as interesting. © HearChoice, used with permission
In the research strong interest was shown in direct-to-consumer (DTC) devices, variously referred to as hearables or by the US designation “over-the-counter hearing aids.” At the same time, participants expressed confusion or a lack of knowledge about them. With the global deployment of Apple’s hearing aid feature, curiosity has only intensified.
Therefore, a key component of HearChoice is a framework for describing the range of available DTC options, and a toolkit for discriminating between viable products and those that are unlikely to function as desired.
Clarifying a confusing DTC landscape
Because of the strong demand, considerable effort was expended to provide a set of tools for the consumer to decide if DTC is right for them or not, and especially how to make an informed decision when purchasing. The centerpiece is a comprehensive, yet easy to digest, DTC consumer guide that users can save or print.
Summary of the DTC comprehensive guide spanning five pages of easy-to-use information
The DTC framework was evaluated by both end-users and hearing care professionals, with overwhelmingly positive results. Dr Barbra Timmer, President of Audiology Australia, Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland, and a HearChoice Investigator, noted that HearChoice offered “the most comprehensive info on rehabilitation options, including DTC devices, I’ve seen.”
From research to clinical practice
As the research and development of HearChoice has progressed, the project has garnered several awards including the Curtin enAble Institute Consumer and Community Involvement in Research Award. More recently, HearChoice was selected for Curtin University’s highly competitive Entrepreneurial Accelerate program to facilitate scale-up and sustainability.
A new company HearTech Solutions has been formed by Dr. Ferguson and Kat Penno, to implement HearChoice across Australia.
But the need doesn’t stop at Australia’s shores, and therefore neither will HearChoice. Lessons learned in the clinical trial and Australian rollout will be applied in versions developed specifically to meet the needs of other regions, resulting in more informed consumers in more places. A more informed consumer is one better prepared to embark on their hearing journey, sooner.
Learn more about HearChoice
Dr. Ferguson’s presentation on the development, goals, and efficacy of HearChoice, originally aired as part of the 2025 Future of Hearing Healthcare virtual conference, may be viewed online indefinitely at our This Week in Hearing YouTube channel:
Andrew Bellavia is the founder of AuraFuturity, a go-to-market consultancy in the hearing and related accessibility spaces, and is a contributing member of the HearChoice project especially on the user interface and DTC. He has been deeply embedded at the intersection of hearables and hearing health, frequently speaking and writing on developments in these markets, and is co-host of Hearing Health & Technology Matters’ This Week in Hearing podcast.
Dr Melanie Ferguson is Associate Professor at Curtin University, leads the HearChoice project, and is co-founder of HearTech Solutions. Her translational hearing research focuses on remote digital healthcare tools, hearing devices, listening and cognition, and outcome measures. She has held leadership roles in research, UK professional audiology, and been involved in hearing healthcare policy-making.
Kat Penno is the Founder and Owner of Perth Audiology & Hearing Clinic and consults to many projects and companies across Australia, including as a major contributor to the HearChoice project and co-founder of HearTech Solutions. Her work in implementing novel digital tools and products to improve quality of life and access to hearing care has been instrumental in understanding commercial aspects of projects.
