Future Perspectives on Hearing Aid Self-Adjustment

Abstract

The complexity required for the auditory rehabilitation of patients leads us through a complex study of the user’s needs, an analysis of the diagnostic tests and a long process of results validation. This arduous process involves aspects related to audition, but also involves cognitive factors, which are left in the hands of the professional audiologist, who will be in charge of ensuring that his patient “recovers” his hearing functions and his way of life as well as possible. But we must never lose sight of the fact that the entire rehabilitation process only begins when the audiologist detects the hearing loss. In addition, many people with hearing loss have other comorbidities associated with hearing loss. However, in recent times the “self-adjustment” of hearing aids is moving towards “automatic” systems. Undoubtedly, the latest technological advances are a great help, but they are not yet able to fully reach the subjectivity of hearing. Because of this, although self-adjustment will not be a reality for all users, it can represent a first contact with auditory amplification and rehabilitation, and that can be a mechanism to push the patient to get specialized help from a professional audiologist. Self-adjusting devices have proliferated since the United States recently authorized the sale of hearing aids as PSAPs and OTC, with new, more direct sales channels, impacting professionals and manufacturers. The decisive aspect here is whether practitioners and manufacturers will be able to adapt to the new market forms, while their patients are trying to manage these innovations. The conclusion we draw from this article is: We need to adapt, adapt and understand each other’s role in this process.