Sociological study on hearing aids released

The study conducted by sociologists Pierre-André Juven (INSERM) and Frédéric Pierru (CNRS) shows that “fitting people with hearing aids is not enough to treat the problem of hearing loss, and simultaneously resolve the health and social risks involved in age-related hearing loss”.

The authors conclude that, “hearing aid professionals’ role is not solely to sell hearing aids but rather to fit people, monitor them, and provide care for them”. They therefore “believe that it is essential to consider this profession as participating in social and medical ‘care’ work”.

The study was released in March 2018 and is now available in English: A socio-technical perspective on age-related hearing loss.

On World Hearing Day on 3 March 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted the rapid increase in the number of people suffering from disabling hearing loss and recommended that the hearing impaired be able to access the services and technologies that they need.

In a context in which “do-it-yourself” or “self-fitting” approaches are being promoted by some, the UNSAF points out how essential it is to evaluate the cost/benefit ratios of the different solutions available to the hearing impaired.

Source: UNSAF