Over-the-counter hearing aids have been available as an alternative to prescription hearing aids for nearly two years. A new study from Lexie Hearing asked the question, “Can self-fitted over-the-counter hearing aids provide the same long-term benefit as the same hearing aid fitting by an audiologist following best practices?” The original study, published in 2023, showed that both groups had the same benefits after six weeks, while the newly updated study, also published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, showed that both groups still had the same benefits after eight months of use.
Depending on your perspective, these results can be frustrating or encouraging, so let’s look at what this means for hearing care professionals and patients.
OTC a viable alternative
Just because the over-the-counter hearing aid used in the study worked well for users without guidance from an audiologist doesn’t mean that all over-the-counter hearing aids work just as well. After all, there are many manufacturers and models of over-the-counter hearing aids. What it does mean is that some may.
Given the skepticism of many about whether over-the-counter, self-adjusting hearing aids are a sufficient alternative for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, it is significant that this study shows that they can fulfill this role.
“I think this is a fantastic result and shows that over-the-counter hearing aids actually have lasting benefits that go beyond a placebo effect,” says David Akbari, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA. “In my opinion, it serves as real-world clinical validation of the notion that over-the-counter hearing aids cannot provide inferior outcomes compared to professional fittings.”
Shari Eberts, an activist who suffers from hearing loss herself, is glad that over-the-counter hearing aids do what they promise. “OTC is meant to be simple and straightforward because the hearing loss they’re meant to treat is pretty normal and straightforward,” she says. “I’m glad that studies show that over-the-counter hearing aids work as they’re supposed to.”
The “hearing care” component
That’s not to say that over-the-counter, self-fitting hearing aids are the best solution for everyone. Even for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, a hearing care professional’s expertise in determining the best hearing aid for a patient’s needs can make a difference in the hearing experience and patient satisfaction. And a big part of that equation is determining a person’s hearing needs in the first place.
“OTC is there. If OTC is the only way people have access, that may be fine in some situations,” says Douglas L. Beck, AuD, F-AAA, CCC-A. “However, if people can get professional advice before they buy a product (OTC or prescription), that would be even better.” He notes that the key to excellent health care is “diagnosis first, treatment second.”
Further reading: Navigate the era of over-the-counter hearing aids with confidence
Space for everyone
In the hearing aid space, there is a tendency to pit over-the-counter hearing aids against prescription hearing aids, even though both can be viable options. If people want or need help with their hearing care from a hearing care professional, it is certainly available. But not everyone is willing to go down that route.
So if over-the-counter hearing aids help some people better perceive the world around them, I think that’s a good thing. They may even be more willing to seek the help of a hearing care professional later on. “I tend to think there’s enough of a pie out there for everyone to get a piece of the action when it comes to fitting and dispensing hearing aids,” Akbari says.
I agree. There is a place in this world for both over-the-counter and prescription hearing aids.
Photo: Dreamstime
— Melanie Hamilton-Basic
Original quote for this article: Hamilton-Basich M, A place for over-the-counter hearing aids. Hearing examination. 2024;31(8):04-05.
