How can people learn how to use hearing aids best? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:03 — 1.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Hearing aids can slow cognitive decline, improve communication and maintain social connections, a study by Frank Lin, an otolaryngologist at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues has shown. Lin says that while sales of hearing aids over the counter will improve uptake, there is still another big barrier to widespread use.

Lin: We have OTC here again that's going to bring down costs in the next one or two years of the models we developed. It's also going to really drive innovation in these new technologies. Hearing intervention is comprised of two things. There's the actual technology like the hearing aid itself and then there's a super critical audiological support services which supports the person and using those hearing aids. You're 50 years old you're tech savvy, you may not need the support services, you can just figure how to use OTC hearing aids, you would use it well and you do great. In contrast the chief population these are 70, 80, you can’t just say here's your hearing aid you’re good to go.   :33

So encourage your insurer to cover these services, Lin says. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.