Misjudgments of Hearing Loss and Its Implications for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated whether patients' perception of their hearing loss accurately reflects their measured hearing thresholds on their audiogram, specifically relating to a mild to moderate hearing loss, which is the determining candidacy for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.

Study design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Audiology clinic at a tertiary care center.

Methods: This retrospective chart review included 232 ears from 116 patients older than 18 years seen for audiograms at our audiology clinic between 2022 and 2023. Data points were taken using the pure tone average (PTA) thresholds at 500 to 2000 Hz and the PTA thresholds at 2000 to 4000 Hz, as hearing sensitivity at these frequencies is most widely associated with speech comprehension and serves as a reliable measure of hearing.

Results: Overall, when using the 2000- to 4000-Hz PTA as an indicator of the degree of hearing loss, only 52% of patients correctly quantified their level of hearing. When using the 500- to 2000-Hz PTA, 61% of patients correctly quantified their degree of hearing loss.

Conclusion: This study suggested that individuals are frequently unable to assess their degree of hearing loss with sufficient accuracy to choose the most appropriate care. To ensure that consumers are making informed decisions about the use of OTC hearing aids, the Food and Drug Administration should consider offering additional guidance that directs patients to first seek out a more standardized measure of hearing provided by a hearing health professional. This additional direction can enhance the quality of care of OTC hearing aid consumers.