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

Abstract

Presently, hearing aids can only be purchased in the United States through a licensed professional, with a mean cost of $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.