Sign inUK Government's OTC hearing aid push - reactions
With over 18 million people in the UK potentially suffering some degree of hearing loss, the audiology community has been looking at ways to get support to that population faster and more efficiently. In a surprising move, the UK Government has issued a policy statement that effectively refers many with hearing loss to over-the-counter options including earphones with hearing aid test software available online.
UK.Gov/Track5 - iStock
The audiology community has given a guarded welcome to newly announced guidance from the UK Government that aims to make it easier for patients to manage their own hearing loss, while green-lighting businesses worldwide to sell certain over-the-counter (OTC) devices on the domestic market.
A January 16 policy paper reveals that the Government seeks to navigate a balance through the trail of existing regulations to "both protect patient safety while improving access to innovative technologies". And it says it plans to review these regulations. For now, the regulations in place serve as the framework for a series of purchase and download scenarios presented in the policy paper as situations whereby the market for devices, such as earphones with hearing test and hearing aid software functionalities, can be exploited by both seller and user to their mutual benefit.
Immediate reaction from two of the big players in hearing health in the UK - the Royal National Institute for...
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