Typically, the entire point of private hearing aids is that they make a huge and vital impact on people’s lives whilst not being particularly noticeable, but that has changed recently when one of the world’s biggest companies made a huge audiology announcement.
One of the biggest features of Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2 is a set of features that allow them to function as a clinical-grade hearing aid, as part of a wider hearing health initiative from the company from Cupertino, California.
However, whilst a lot of extraordinarily huge claims have been made both by Apple and by the technology press, what does this actually mean for audiology, how much of an impact will they have for hearing and where will that benefit be most noticeable?
To answer the first part of the question, it is important to know the impetus for Apple going into over-the-counter hearing aids in the first place, and the answer is a 2022 ruling by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Unlike in the UK, where there are multiple options for hearing aids at various price points depending on the features you need to ensure that nobody has to go without, audiology in the United States has historically been very expensive, and the process of getting hearing aids requires several expensive appointments and a prescription.
The cost can reach as high as $7000 (£5340), over ten times the price for hearing aids, microsuction and fitting by a private audiologist in the United Kingdom, so to try and reduce the price and improve accessibility, the FDA-approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids.
With even low-cost prescription hearing aids in the USA costing over $900, the $250 asking price for the AirPods is seen as a significantly more affordable option once the FDA-approved software update is added to compatible iPhones, although this particular selling point is likely limited to the idiosyncratic US health system.
AirPods would also only benefit people with low-level hearing loss, are no replacement for a fitted hearing aid and are somewhat bulky compared to some of the particularly sophisticated in-ear options available via private audiology.
On its own, then, AirPods are unlikely to revolutionise the industry, but they could change the culture surrounding hearing aids and help reach people who would never think to see an audiologist.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to hearing loss is knowing when it is happening. A lot of the early signs of hearing loss, such as difficulties with speech processing in a noisy room can be dismissed as the result of environmental factors.
Part of Apple’s hearing aid update is the implementation of a rudimentary pure-tone audiometry. Whilst no replacement for a professional audiologist, it being available on one of the world’s most popular smart devices means that many people who would be out of reach of hearing specialists may give it a try.
This could help them on their first step towards getting the right support for their hearing and preserving their health for longer.
