Self-fitting hearing devices for developing countries

The current production of hearing aids only meets less than 10% of the current global need, according to the latest World Health Organisation hearing loss figures. About one-third of these people that need them are over 65 with the majority located in south Asia, Asia-Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa, said Associate Professor, HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (HEARing CRC) CEO Robert Cowan.

“One of the main barriers restricting hearing aid use in developing countries is the lack of access to services that fit and maintain them. Having an affordable, self-fitting hearing aid would reduce this barrier and provide a huge benefit to the millions of people who can currently do nothing about their hearing loss.”

The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (HEARing CRC) has conducted a proof of concept that has shown it is viable to create a self-fitting hearing aid with current technology.

“By self-fitting I mean that an individual can fit a hearing aid without the need to access a computer or the internet. This is made possible through the hearing aid’s ability to estimate the extent of a user’s hearing loss,” Cowan said. However a self-fitting hearing aid will not be suitable for all people with hearing loss. “It would not be suitable for people with severe to profound hearing loss, as a tight-fitting, custom-made ear mould is required to deliver the high level of amplification required without whistling.

“We are also aware some people will need some fitting assistance for a multitude of reasons. When this is the case, a remote fitting procedure via the internet involving a hearing health professional would be used to significantly reduce service costs,” Cowan said. “Regardless on how best to develop a business model for a self-fitting hearing aid, current technology has given us an opportunity to take the initiative and tackle a significant global health problem.”

A/Prof Cowan will talk about the need for self-fitting hearing aids at the XXXII World Congress of Audiology Roundtable entitled Audiology Service in the Next 10-20 Years, being held in Brisbane this week. 

Later on in the day, Senior National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) Research Scientist Dr Gitte Keidser’s presentation The Impact of Self-fitting Hearing Devices on Audiology Service Provision will discuss in depth the feasibility of self-fitting hearing aids as part of a Special Global Audiology Symposium