Direct-to-Consumer Hearing Aid models are becoming more common and the Academy has undertaken a multipronged approach in assisting members in this paradigm shift.
Academy Efforts
- The Academy, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), the International Hearing Society (IHS), and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) released a joint position statement on Consumer-Administered Hearing Tests and Direct-to-Consumer Hearing Aid Sales.
- The Academy, ADA, AAO-HNS, IHS, and ASHA sent a letter to every state department of health in the country asking them to advise consumers who suspect that they have hearing loss to seek a comprehensive hearing evaluation by a licensed hearing healthcare professional prior to purchasing hearing aids over-the-counter or through the Internet. Click here to view the letter. Click here to view the joint press release.
- The Academy sent a letter to the FDA outlining concerns and requesting action regarding the website www.thegoodear.com, which offers an online hearing test as well as a sound “therapy” application, which purports to restore hearing loss.
Member Resources
- American Academy of Audiology Direct-to-Consumer Information Toolkit.
- The Academy, ADA, and ASHA sent a message to members outlining steps that audiologists might consider in assisting in the paradigm shift with regard to the direct-to-consumer hearing aid model. Click here to view the message.
- The Academy created a quick reference guide to assist audiologists in a hearing health delivery paradigm shift.
- The Academy’s Board of Directors approved Public Policy Resolutions developed by the Academy’s Government Relations Committee addressing Mail Order/Internet Ordering of Hearing Aids and Internet Hearing Evaluations for the Purposes of Fitting and Dispensing Hearing Aids.
