Current Trends in Hearing Aids

Current Trends

in Hearing Aids

Bluetooth® connectivity allows wearers to receive phone calls and listen to music and television in their hearing aids.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), over 5% of the world’s population, or 430 million people, experience hearing loss. It is estimated that by 2050, over 700 million people, or one in 10, will have some hearing loss that will require the use of hearing aids to enjoy a better quality of life (WHO, March 2021).

Reliance on hearing aids is low relative to the prevalence of hearing loss in the population. However, a US study found that in a nationally representative sample of adults over the age of 70, the proportion who reported owning and using their hearing aids increased by 23.3% between 2011 and 2018. Several factors appear to have contributed to this increase in hearing aid use.

Personal Factors

With today’s easy and rapid access to information, people are more informed about their health than ever before. By finding information directly online, individuals with hearing loss and their family members often arrive better informed to their first appointment with their audioprosthetist. They are also more motivated to find solutions.

According to research, family members and close friends play an important supportive role in encouraging a person with hearing loss to seek help. The more a person is aware of their hearing loss, the more likely they will want to quickly correct it with hearing aids.

Technological Factors

Hearing aids have evolved significantly in the past few years. Their small size and seamless integration with other technologies, like Bluetooth®, make them much more attractive than they were in the past. Bluetooth® connectivity allows wearers to receive phone calls, listen to music and television (direct broadcast or through accessories) in their hearing aids. With the rapid evolution of technology, the hearing aid sector is constantly evolving. The development of complementary uses to provide services that go far beyond hearing loss will be central to future progress. Rare will be those who will want to go without!

Consult your audioprosthetist to stay abreast of new technological developments.

Josée Guillemette

Bilingual Audiology Support Specialist

Nathalie Saindon

Bilingual Audiology Support Specialist

An assessment by an audioprosthetist is required to determine which hearing aid suits the patient’s needs.

References: - Jenstad, L. and Moon, J., “Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Hearing Aid Uptake in Older Adults”, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26557310/ - McMahon, C.; Mosley, C.; Pichora-Fuller, M.K.; Davis, A.; Baylor, C; Yorkston, K.; and Tremblay, K., “Older adults’ perceptions of current and future hearing healthcare services in Australia,

England, US and Canada”, https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/december-2021-volume-31-issue-5/older-adults-perceptions-of-hearing-healthcare/ - Reed, N.S.; Garcia-Morales, E.; and Willink, A., “Trends in Hearing Aid Ownership Among Older Adults in the United States From 2011 to 2018”, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2773785