Hearing Aid Satisfaction: The Results Are In

There are many different reasons why some people are more satisfied with hearing aids than others. So far, the research has shown that this can be related to the extent of hearing loss, communication needs, expectations of benefit, and personality factors.

Nonetheless, the research has consistently shown from year to year that overall satisfaction among hearing aid users is around 80%.

This is a good number, but it does leave some room for improvement. Also, we know that only about 15 to 20% of people with hearing loss use hearing aids.

This number may include individuals who purchased hearing aids and discontinued using them due to dissatisfaction. This suggests that perhaps more than 20% of people who currently use, or who have used hearing aids before, are dissatisfied.

So, what is the latest research on why some people are dissatisfied with hearing aids? What are the reasons why most people are satisfied?

And how can this help someone who is asking whether they would be satisfied if they tried hearing aids?

Let’s take a look.

Satisfaction with Hearing Aids: Advanced Features and The Professional Rank Highest

As mentioned above, multiple factors have been identified that are thought to predict satisfaction with hearing aids; however, there is no consensus in the research.

In a recent review of the published literature, titled “Hearing aid satisfaction in adults: a systematic review of speech-in-noise tests and other behavioral measures” Alyssa Davidson, and colleagues, found a surprising result. They found that the most consistent clinical predictor of satisfaction with hearing aids was poor performance on speech-in-noise tests.

These tests are performed in audiology clinics and involve the assessment of how well a patient hears and understands words and sentences in the presence of background noise. There are many different tests like this, but the most used one for the past several years is the QuickSIN, or the “quick speech-in-noise test.”

The research is showing that how poorly a patient performs on these tests correlates strongly with how likely they are to perceive benefit with their hearing aids.

This is likely since hearing in noise is one of the most common problems people with hearing loss face. Some people can compensate for their hearing loss better than others. Therefore, those people who struggle more in noise are more likely to perceive a distinct hearing problem, and they are also more likely to perceive benefit, and satisfaction, with the use of hearing aids.

To make this simple, satisfaction with hearing aids was more dependent on how much a person struggles to hear in noise than how severe their actual hearing loss is on an audiogram.

One Hearing Aid Style Is Vastly More Popular Than the Others

According to the MarkeTrak 2022 survey, satisfaction with hearing aids tends to linger around the 80% level, from year to year. What is most interesting about this large national survey is that satisfaction tends to be high for all levels of hearing aid technology. However, the survey did show that newer features, including rechargeable batteries, and Bluetooth streaming, are accounting for much of the reported satisfaction of new hearing aid users.

The survey showed that satisfaction was highest when the hearing aids were dispensed by a professional; however, the satisfaction with hearing aids that were self-fit (such as OTC style of devices) was surprisingly high also. The real difference between the professionally dispensed and the self-fit (or remote fit) devices was that satisfaction with the self-fit devices was more affected by the perception of the brand of the device.  

Aside from the MarkeTrak survey, other studies have shown that satisfaction is high for all the different styles of hearing aids, whether they fit completely inside or behind the ear.

However, the style most favored by consumers is the receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) type of hearing aid. This is a small device that fits behind the ear with only a small speaker with a soft dome that goes inside the ear canal. The RIC style offers the highest level of perceived comfort and cosmetic appeal.

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Doing Surprisingly Well

Hearing aids that are dispensed by a professional are generally referred to as “prescriptive” devices. These involve a calculation of the outputs based on a patient’s hearing test, with further adjustments to the sound based on their preferences, and other factors, such as sound tolerance.

The main caveat with prescriptive hearing aids is that they are more expensive than self-fit, or OTC, hearing aids. This is for obvious reasons, including the expenses of a clinic and the time and expertise of a trained professional.

Research is showing, however, that not all people needing help with hearing aids need them to be prescriptive. In fact, many people have mild to moderate hearing loss and can do well with OTC hearing aids. Satisfaction for people in this category is so far comparable to those who purchase prescriptive devices.

We do recommend that anyone who perceives a more severe hearing loss, or whether they feel a deep enough concern for their hearing problem, to see a professional.

Why Understanding Consumer Satisfaction Is Important

Understanding satisfaction with hearing aids is helpful for consumers and clinicians alike.

For clinicians, it is important to understand what styles and features of hearing aids are most impactful on the perceived benefit and satisfaction of their patients. Additionally, for clinicians, it is important to understand what pre-fitting assessments are needed to fine-tune the rehabilitative services (such as counseling) that will help patients the most.

For consumers, it’s important for them to know whether a certain technology, or style of device, that is being sold to them is commonly beneficial to other people.

On this website, we always support people seeing an audiologist or other hearing healthcare professional for any concerns they may have.

However, it never hurts for prospective hearing aid users to learn as much as they can before deciding on the purchase of hearing aids.

We support the OTC hearing aids that have become available since 2022. These are certainly appropriate for many people. And it’s encouraging that the MarkeTrak survey shows that satisfaction is high with this kind of self-fit device.

Be sure to check this website for more information on OTC hearing aids, including our FAQ page and product reviews.

References

Davidson, A., Marrone, N., Wong, B., & Musiek, F. (2021). Predicting hearing aid satisfaction in adults: A systematic review of speech-in-noise tests and other behavioral measures. Ear and hearing, 42(6), 1485-1498.

Picou, EM. (2022) Hearing aid benefit and satisfaction results from the MarkeTrak 2022 survey: Importance of features and hearing care professionals. Semin Hear 2022; 43(04): 301-316
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1758375