by Brian Taylor, AuD, Editor-at-Large
Brian Taylor, AuD
A recently published extensive analysis, conducted by Larry Humes, using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data on hearing loss, self-reported hearing problems and hearing aid use reported that 85% of those with hearing loss or self-perceived hearing difficulty were not currently wearing hearing aids. Providing further confirmation that an enormous swath of the adult U.S. population has an unmet hearing healthcare need.
Of course, it is too early to know how much of an impact over-the-counter hearing aids will have on this huge unmet need. Although OTC hearing aids have been available for about 9 months, it has been reported they comprise a little over 1% of the total hearing aids sold in the U.S.
In addition to the usual suspects (cost, access and stigma) it’s becoming apparent apathy and indifference drive a lot of this unmet need. Articles, both in the peer reviewed literature and trade publications, indicate that most adults – from unspeckled 30-somethings to weathered codgers – simply don’t prioritize their hearing health. This growing body of survey data shows that compared to other common health conditions, Americans neglect their hearing. Perhaps even more unsettling, many primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, also failed to prioritize hearing health, according to a 2022 survey.
Plainly we need more than just another low-cost, easy-to-buy hearing aid to move the meter on apathy and indifference surrounding hearing healthcare. It’s an all-hands-on-deck problem that requires a variety of approaches.
Here to help us better understand the complexity of the challenge is Terry Mactaggart. He is the president and CEO of Summus Hearing. I’ve known Terry for about ten years, and maybe it’s because he’s Canadian, but his forward-looking viewpoints are always worth listening to.
Read further to see what he has to say about the persistent problem of unmet need plaguing our industry and our profession: Hearing Health is Finally Being Disrupted – So What Now?
Brian Taylor, AuD, is the senior director of audiology for Signia. He is also the editor of Audiology Practices, a quarterly journal of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, editor-at-large for Hearing Health and Technology Matters and adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin.
