Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
Date Submitted: Sep 1, 2024
Date Accepted: May 1, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Improved speech recognition in adults with conductive or mixed hearing-loss using a direct-to-consumer bone-conduction device
ABSTRACT
Background:
Hearing loss affects 20% of the global population, including 250 million suffering from chronic suppurative otitis media, which can present challenges for conventional hearing aids due to ear discharge. Although assistive technology for hearing is available in high income settings, in low-income settings provision is poor due to high costs, and low availability of audiology services, reaching approximately 3% of those who could benefit.
Objective:
We sought to evaluate performance of a low-cost self-fitted direct to consumer bone-conduction headphone for individuals with conductive or mixed hearing loss.
Methods:
We conducted a mixed-methods study to test the effectiveness of this device using a purposive sample. Participants with a range of conductive and mixed hearing-loss underwent speech-in-quiet audiometry with and without the device and took part in semi-structured interviews exploring their subjective impressions of the device.
Results:
In 33 participants, the device improved speech recognition in those with bone conduction thresholds <50dB by a median of 11%, with larger air-bone gap associated with larger improvement. Participants rated the device positively on weight, style, and ease of use.
Conclusions:
This device offers an effective, low-cost alternative for rehabilitation of individuals with conductive or mixed hearing loss in both low- and high-income settings. Further studies are required to optimise device performance, and trials to establish those most likely to benefit
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