Demystifying hearing aid technology features through a novel iterative process in lexicon development
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Lack of standardised information about hearing aid technologies presents a barrier to individuals seeking to understand and make informed choices about the hearing aid features they may benefit from. OBJECTIVES: (1) To identify features in contemporary hearing aids as described in publicly available materials. (2) To develop a lexicon of hearing aid features that informs consumers about available technologies. DESIGN: A synthesis of published information on the features of contemporary hearing aids from six major manufacturers was conducted by a multidisciplinary research team. The analysis and categorisation of these findings was an iterative, agile process involving five distinct phases, Scoping, Extracting/Decoding, Mapping, Synthesising and Consulting. SAMPLE SIZE: 119 documents/publications were included in this review. These materials comprised 14 product guides and specification data sheets, and 105 white papers and technical articles. RESULTS: We identified 253 unique features (e.g. Feedback Management) across 12 hearing aid devices (including both premium and entry-level models). This resulted in the development of a lexicon describing the core capabilities of modern hearing aids. CONCLUSION: Data synthesis identified key features of contemporary hearing aids across device models and manufacturers to inform the design of a lexicon for use by consumers.
Authors: Paola Incerti, Taegan Young, Matthew Croteau, Jason Gavrilis, James Galloway, Megan Gilliver, Sanna Hou, Jorge Mejia, Xiaoyin Shang, Katja Turnbull, Padraig Kitterick
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4416764285