Abstract
The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 was signed into law in August 2017 and
facilitates the introduction of direct-to-consumer sales of hearing aids for adults
with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Among many questions surrounding over-the-counter
sales is the ability of users to self-fit amplification. Many studies have conducted
self-fitting procedures using guidance materials provided by audiologists. In this
pilot, we explore the ability of users to self-adjust personal sound amplification
devices using only materials provided by the manufacturer and contrast this with models
that involve a hearing professional. Outcomes to assess adjustments included clinic-based
speech-in-noise measures and ability to approximate NAL-NL2 prescriptive targets.
We found that an audiologist-driven model provided the best outcomes. However, it
is unknown if the difference is clinically meaningful.
Keywords
Personal Sound Amplification Product - over-the-counter device - self-fit amplification
- direct-to-consumer sales
