Review of established and developing hearing devices and technologies 

This NAL research project was funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care and done in collaboration with Deafness Forum Australia and the Hearing Aid Manufacturers and Distributors Association of Australia (HAMADAA).

Project Goals 

1. Identify the features of current hearing devices and developing technologies (e.g. assistive listening devices, remote microphones, etc.) that manufacturers describe on their websites and publicly available material 

2. Create a glossary of features found in hearing aids and developing technologies to help consumers understand what technologies are available and which may be relevant to their hearing needs 

Methodology

A total of 251 individual features were extracted from materials or publicly-available information sources of the six major hearing aid manufacturers. These features were collated and organised to create the guide, and included established technology that is widely available across most/all models and manufacturers and developing technologies that may only be offered in the latest or ‘premium’ devices.  

Conclusion 

The glossary of terms developed contains simple and clear information that can be used to help people with hearing loss have discussions with their audiologist about which technologies may be right for them, and to make informed decisions about the kind of devices that may be most helpful for them. The glossary can also be used by manufacturers who supply devices to adopt consistent terms when describing the features of their hearing devices. This information will allow clients and consumers to make easier comparisons between devices and informed choices based on their needs.