Amplification and Assistive Devices (AAD)
Emily Gayer, BS
The University of Texas at Dallas
Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant non-financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Dr. Linda Thibodeau, PhD; CCC A/SLP
Professor
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, Texas
Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant non-financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Rebekah Peters, BS
Student
The University of Texas at Dallas
Garland, Texas
Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant non-financial relationships with anything to disclose.
The use of smartphones today is extremely widespread. According to a 2021 survey, 61% of people 65 and older own a smartphone (Faverio, 2022). The ability to connect one’s smartphone and hearing aids can be very beneficial when it comes to streaming music, talking on the phone and hearing in noisy environments. Of those who purchased hearing aids in the last year, 70% selected devices with wireless capability. Furthermore, the use of downloadable apps by hearing aid users increased to 44% (Kim, 2022). Clearly, the interest in wireless connectivity in hearing assistive devices is continuing to increase. The information from the 2019 poster Features of MFi and MFa Hearing aids (2019) was updated in this project to reflect current connectivity and new features such as Auracast™. There are multiple aspects of bluetooth that are important to consider when streaming from a smartphone to hearing devices. Some of those important aspects of connectivity are the compatible operating systems (iOS or Android), the microphone used during phone calls, binaural vs monaural streaming, and telecoil availability. In addition to the features of connectivity, the style of the aid is an important factor when selecting an aid that has connectivity. All of the five manufacturers included in this project have behind-the-ear, receiver-in-the-canal, with wireless connectivity. These components will be summarized in a chart for five manufacturers. A chart is provided below and includes one device from each of the five manufacturers as an example. Such information is critical to include in the hearing aid selection process in order to provide connectivity to existing technology such as smartphones or tablets owned by the client. NOTE: MFa=Made for all, MFi=Made for iPhone, ITC=In-the-canal, ITE=In-the-ear, RIC=Receiver-in-canal, BTE=Behind-the-ear, HA=Hearing aid, RITE=Receiver-in-the-ear Faverio, M. (2022, January 13). Share of those 65 and older who are tech users has grown in the past decade. Pew Research Center. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/01/13/share-of-those-65-and-older-who-are-tech-users-has-grown-in-the-past-decade/ Havens, R., & Thibodeau, L. (2019). Features of MFi and MFa Hearing Aids. Poster presented at the Texas Academy of Audiology, Frisco, Texas.
References:
Kim, S. (2022, May 9). Marketrak 2022: Navigating the changing landscape of Hearing Healthcare. The Hearing Review. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/research/marketrak-2022-navigating-the-changing-landscape-hearing-healthcareLearning Objectives: