Nicholas S. Reed

Addressing Estimated Hearing Loss in Adults in 2060

This population epidemiology study uses data from the NHANES to estimate the number of adults expected to have hearing loss in the next 43 years.

Personal Sound Amplifiers for Adults with Hearing Loss

Age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent and often untreated. Use of hearing aids has been associated with improvements in communication and quality of life, but such treatment is unaffordable or inaccessible for many adults. The purpose of this review is to provide a practical guide for physicians who work with older adults who are experiencing hearing and communication difficulties. Specifically, we review direct-to-consumer amplification products that can be used to address hearing loss in adults. Helping adults with hearing loss navigate hearing loss treatment options ranging from being professionally fitted with hearing aids to using direct-to-consumer amplification options is important for primary care clinicians to understand given our increasing understanding of the impact of hearing loss on cognitive, social, and physical functioning.

Personal Sound Amplification Products vs a Conventional Hearing Aid for Speech Understanding in Noise

Personal Sound Amplification Products vs a Conventional Hearing Aid for Speech Understanding in Noise Presently, hearing aids can only be purchased in the United States through a licensed professional, with a mean cost of

Pilot Electroacoustic Analyses of a Sample of Direct-to-Consumer Amplification Products

4700 for 2 hearing aids (uncovered by Medicare).1-3 According to nationally representative estimates based on 2605 adults from 1999 through 2006, less than 20% of adults with hearing loss report hearing aid use.4 Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are less-expensive, over-the-counter devices not specifically labeled for hearing loss treatment, but some are technologically comparable with hearing aids and may be appropriate for mild to moderate hearing loss.1 We compared a sample of these devices with a conventional hearing aid among individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss.

A randomized feasibility pilot trial of hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: Results from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Pilot Study

OBJECTIVEnRecent national initiatives from the White House and Institute of Medicine have focused on strategies to increase the accessibility and affordability of hearing loss treatment given the average cost of

Otolaryngology for the Internist

4700 for bilateral hearing aids. More affordable direct-to-consumer hearing technologies are increasingly gaining recognition, but the performance of these devices has been poorly studied. We investigated the technical and electroacoustic capabilities of several direct-to-consumer hearing devices to inform otolaryngologists who may be asked by patients to comment on these devices.nnnPATIENTS/INTERVENTIONnNine direct-to-consumer hearing devices ranging in retail cost from

Hearing Loss Treatment in Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review

144.99 to

Impact of Hearing Loss on Patient–Provider Communication Among Hospitalized Patients: A Systematic Review:

395.00 and one direct-to-consumer hearing device with a retail cost of

Hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: Design and methods of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders randomized controlled trial

30.00.nnnMAIN OUTCOME MEASUREnElectroacoustic results and simulated real-ear measurements. Main electroacoustic measures are frequency response, equivalent input noise, total harmonic distortion, and maximum output sound pressure level at 90u200adB.nnnRESULTSnFive devices met all four electroacoustic tolerances presented in this study, two devices met three tolerances, one device met two tolerances, one device met one tolerance, and one device did not meet any tolerances. Nine devices were able to approximate five of nine National Acoustics Laboratories (NAL) targets within 10u200adB while only three devices were able to approximate five of nine NAL targets within a more stringent 5u200adB.nnnCONCLUSIONnWhile there is substantial heterogeneity among the selection of devices, certain direct-to-consumer hearing devices may be able to provide appropriate amplification to persons with mild-to-moderate hearing loss and serve as alternatives for hearing aids in specific cases.

Pilot Study of Audiometric Patterns in Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy

Hearing loss (HL) is prevalent and independently related to cognitive decline and dementia. There has never been a randomized trial to test if HL treatment could reduce cognitive decline in older adults.