A newly published study in BMC Geriatrics finds that older adults consistently prefer receiving hearing healthcare information, testing, and hearing devices through traditional medical settings rather than retail stores, online channels, or other nonmedical alternatives.
Published October 13, 2026, the research examined survey responses from adults aged 60 and older in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States. The findings suggest that established healthcare relationships and confidence in professional services may play an important role in how older consumers approach hearing healthcare decisions.
The study, led by F. Alnafjan and colleagues, analyzed data collected between 2016 and 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids in the United States. Although the responses reflect an earlier period, the researchers suggest that the findings provide a useful foundation for understanding consumer preferences as hearing healthcare delivery continues to evolve.
Older Adults Favor Audiologists and Medical Settings
The researchers examined responses from 9,510 eligible participants, with approximately 8,000 answering each of three primary questions addressing where they preferred to obtain hearing health information, receive hearing testing, and acquire hearing aids or other hearing devices.
Across all four countries, respondents consistently favored traditional healthcare environments, including audiologists’ offices, physicians’ offices, and hospitals.
When asked about hearing health information, doctors and medical or government websites were among the most preferred sources. Radio and internet advertisements ranked among the least preferred.
Similar patterns emerged for hearing testing. Respondents generally preferred audiology practices, physicians’ offices, and hospitals over pharmacies, supermarkets, technology retailers, community centers, or self-testing options.
Audiologists’ offices were particularly popular among respondents in Australia, Canada, and the United States, while participants in England showed a stronger preference for general practitioners and hospital-based services.
Preferences for obtaining hearing devices followed much the same pattern, with audiologists’ offices, doctors’ offices, and hospitals favored over mail-order and technology retail channels.
Importantly, these preferences remained broadly consistent across different degrees of hearing loss, age groups, previous help-seeking experiences, and whether participants completed the survey online or in person.
“Regardless of the participants’ hearing-loss severity, prior help-seeking, survey mode, or geographic location, they consistently preferred to seek help in person, in provider-mediated clinical settings”
The researchers also observed that participants who reported hearing loss demonstrated an increased preference for hearing testing in audiologists’ offices, potentially reflecting greater familiarity with hearing care professionals.
What the Findings Mean for OTC Hearing Aids
The study arrives amid continued efforts to make hearing healthcare more accessible through OTC hearing aids, self-fitting technologies, remote services, and consumer electronics.
Since the FDA established the OTC hearing aid category in 2022, adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss have been able to purchase qualifying devices without a prescription, medical examination, or professional fitting.
However, the researchers note that expanding access does not necessarily translate into widespread adoption.
Citing more recent industry research, the authors reported that approximately 78% of respondents in the 2022 U.S. MarkeTrak survey preferred obtaining future hearing aids through traditional, in-person channels involving a hearing care professional.
Similarly, the 2025 MarkeTrak survey found that 85% of hearing aid owners preferred to make future purchases in person with professional assistance.
These more recent findings, while separate from the original four-country survey, suggest that professional involvement continues to influence consumer preferences.
The authors also discuss the potential importance of trust. Medical settings may convey greater confidence in diagnostic accuracy, professional oversight, and continuity of care compared with unfamiliar retail or online alternatives.
At the same time, the researchers acknowledge that traditional medical settings alone may not have sufficient capacity to meet the growing demand for hearing healthcare as populations age.
They suggest that integrating alternative services within established healthcare environments could offer a practical approach to expanding access while preserving the professional relationships that many older adults value.
“Employing trained personnel and offering complimentary in-person and remote services situated in medical-type settings, under the supervision of professional hearing care providers, may be a viable approach.”
— Alnafjan and colleagues, BMC Geriatrics (2026)
Such models could combine audiologists, other appropriately trained personnel, remote follow-up services, and accessible hearing technologies within care pathways that patients already recognize and trust.
Study Limitations and Implications for Hearing Care
The authors emphasize several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings.
First, the survey responses were collected between 2016 and 2018, before the pandemic, widespread telehealth adoption, and the availability of FDA-regulated OTC hearing aids. Consumer attitudes may have changed as newer technologies and purchasing options have become more familiar.
Second, participants were recruited through convenience sampling, and the study population was predominantly White, limiting how broadly the findings can be generalized.
Additionally, the research examined stated preferences rather than actual purchasing behavior. Respondents’ preferred settings may not necessarily reflect the decisions they would make when faced with differences in cost, convenience, or availability.
Nevertheless, the findings raise important considerations for hearing care professionals, policymakers, and companies developing alternative hearing healthcare services.
Rather than treating professional care and consumer-directed technologies as competing approaches, the researchers suggest that future delivery models may benefit from combining the accessibility of newer technologies with the trust and continuity associated with established medical settings.
For hearing care providers, the study reinforces the potential importance of professional guidance, patient relationships, and accessible clinical services as the industry continues to explore new ways of reaching people with untreated hearing loss.
The authors conclude that additional research is needed to determine how preferences have evolved and whether newer generations of older adults will approach hearing healthcare differently.
Ultimately, expanding access to hearing technologies may require more than introducing new purchasing channels. Understanding where consumers feel comfortable seeking help—and why—could prove equally important in improving hearing healthcare utilization.
Reference
Alnafjan, F., Davis, A. C., Lee, M. L., McMahon, C. M., Mokdad, A. H., Mosley, C. L., Pichora-Fuller, M. K., & Tremblay, K. L. (2026). Consumer preferences for hearing health care information and services as described by older adults surveyed in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States. BMC Geriatrics, 26, Article 1285. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-07819-7
