WASHINGTON, DC–The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) issued a warning to consumers on October 14 about “the inherent risks associated with purchasing over-the-counter, one-size-fits-all hearing aids instead of consulting a hearing healthcare professional.”
The advisory from the not-for-profit corporation follows recent announcements by two companies—hi HealthInnovations and Audiotoniq—that they will begin selling hearing aids for less than $1000 directly to users over the Internet. (Scroll down in Hearing News Watch to the September 20 and October 5 posts about these products.)
BHI is a not-for-profit corporation funded by the hearing industry to educate the public about the neglected problem of hearing loss and what can be done about it.
In its press release, BHI noted, “All 50 states require that consumers use a credentialed hearing care professional to purchase hearing aids.” It went on to cite reasons why consumers should obtain hearing aids only after being tested and examined by a qualified professional. One reason is that hearing loss can be a symptom of a serious underlying medical problem, which might go undiscovered without the involvement of a professional.
BHI also stated that hearing devices purchased without consultation with a hearing professional may not be accurately customized to the specific needs of the individual.
Sergei Kochkin, PhD, the executive director of BHI, said, “Today’s state-of-the-art hearing aids should be programmed to the individual’s specific hearing loss requirements in order to provide good levels of benefit and customer satisfaction. The process requires a complete in-person hearing assessment in a sound booth; the training and skills of a credentialed hearing healthcare professional to prescriptively fit the hearing aids using sophisticated computer programs; and appropriate in-person follow-up and counseling. This is not possible when consumers purchase one-size-fits-all hearing aids over the Internet or elsewhere.”
Kochkin added, “The best advice BHI can give anyone purchasing a hearing aid is to find a state-credentialed hearing healthcare professional and to communicate openly during the evaluation, fitting, and trial period to increase the likelihood that you are receiving the best possible benefit from your hearing aids.”
A GROWING CONTROVERSY
As reported in this blog on October 11, BHI is not alone in opposing the direct sale of hearing aids to consumers. The International Hearing Society and two major hearing aid manufacturers—Starkey Laboratories and ReSound–have also condemned the practice.
On the other hand, Audiotoniq and hi HealthInnovations contend that their products will benefit consumers by making hearing aids easier and less expensive to obtain than through professional channels. They say that giving people this option will help address the severe underutilization of hearing aids that has long been prevalent.
FOR MORE ON THIS ISSUE…
Direct-to-consumer sale of hearing aids will be the subject of a series of posts on the Hearing Views section of Hearinghealthmatters.org. The series will start October 19 with a post by Lisa Tseng, MD, the chief executive officer of hi HealthInnovations, and continue on October 26 with a reply by Dennis Van Vliet, AuD, a veteran dispensing audiologist who writes regularly on professional issues.
Editor’s correction
When this post was first published, it incorrectly stated that Audiotoniq would sell an at-home hearing test to consumers. While hi HealthInnovations does plan to do that, the hearing test that Audiotoniq has developed is designed to be administered by a qualified health care professional in a physician’s office or other professional setting.
David:
Thank you for starting a dialogue on the topic. In a free-market society where entrepreneurs believe that there is a market opportunity, it should not be surprising that we see more efforts to go direct-to-consumers and price-based advertising. Yet, there have been a multitude of studies that have looked at consumer preferences and success with amplification. Price and cost are not as important as the relationship and trust that the patients have with providers. Yet, we continue to see price ads, discount coupons, etc. in an effort to get that immediate sale. In the blog on this website by Ray Katz, he notes the importance of that professional relationship with the patient. Hearing providers need to brand their knowledge, skills, and expertise and stop falling into the retail trap of thinking that patients will always go for the cheapest price and are looking for a coupon. Let’s not make it about price. Instead, let’s focus on performance advertising where we talk about outcomes and patient success.
Barry