By Amit Gosalia, Judy Huch, Heather Malyuk, Emily McMahan, and Jackie Napoli
This article is a part of the November/December 2021, Volume 33, Number 6, Audiology Today issue.
Some versions of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids have been around for many years. Now, with President Joe Biden’s July 9, 2021, Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy and the proposed regulations expected in the fall of 2021, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated OTC hearing aids from familiar electronics companies are one step closer to becoming mainstream.
As a profession, we knew this was coming. Many audiologists continue to debate how this will affect the profession. Will this increase or decrease our patient numbers? How can we incorporate this into our practice? How do we value our services?
While we do not have access to a crystal ball, one thing is certain: Change is coming.
In this article, five private-practice audiologists share their thoughts about, and plans for, working in an environment that includes OTC hearing aids. The discussion here is not focused on the efficacy of these devices or whether or not we agree that getting hearing help without an audiological examination is the right way to proceed with hearing-health care.
As forward-thinking doctors of audiology, we recognize there is a place for OTC hearing aids. In this article, we share background information on OTC hearing aids, our thoughts about the adoption of OTCs, and how we plan to navigate OTCs in our practice.
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