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International Journal of Audiology Volume 60, 2021 - Issue 11
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Original Articles

Hearing aid acquisition and ownership: what can we learn from online consumer reviews?

Rebecca J. Bennetta Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia;b Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, AustraliaCorrespondence[email protected]
ORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9427-5539
ORCID Icon,
De Wet Swanepoela Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia;b Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia;c Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South AfricaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8313-1636
ORCID Icon,
Pierre Ratinaudd LERASS Laboratory, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
,
Abram Baileye Hearing Tracker Inc., Austin, TX, USA
,
James W. Pennebakerf Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
&
Vinaya Manchaiahg Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA;h Department of Speech and Hearing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, IndiaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1254-8407
ORCID Icon
Pages 917-926 | Received 14 Sep 2020, Accepted 12 May 2021, Published online: 13 Jun 2021
 
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Abstract

Objective

To explore the publicised opinions of consumers actively participating in online hearing aid reviews.

Design

A retrospective design examining data generated from an online consumer review website (www.HearingTracker.com). Qualitative data (open text responses) were analysed using the open source automated topic modelling software IRaMuTeQ (http://www.iramuteq.org/) to identify themes. Outputs were compared with quantitative data from the consumer reviews (short response questions exploring hearing aid performance and benefit, and some meta-data such as hearing aid brand and years of hearing aid ownership).

Study sample

1378 online consumer hearing aid reviews.

Results

Six clusters within two domains were identified. The domain Device Acquisition included three clusters: Finding the right provider, device and price-point; Selecting a hearing aid to suit the hearing loss; Attaining physical fit and device management skills. The domain Device Use included three clusters: Smartphone streaming to hearing aids; Hearing aid adjustment using smartphone; and Hearing in noise.

Conclusions

Although online hearing aid consumers indicate positive performance on multiple-choice questions relating to hearing aid performance and benefit, their online reviews describe a number of barriers limiting their success. Hearing healthcare clinicians must employ a personalised approach to audiological rehabilitation to ensure individual clients’ needs are met.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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