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Over the last 20 years, hearing aid adoption has remained stubbornly at 20% or one fifth of adults with an admitted hearing loss. Given the consequences of untreated hearing loss, why do four fifths of adults with a hearing loss delay or avoid a hearing solution?

Below is our interpretation of a research article published in the April 2007 edition of The Hearing Journal entitled Obstacles to Adult Non-User Adoption of Hearing Aids by Sergei Kochkin. Click below to read the full article.


Obstacles to Adult Non-User Adoption of Hearing Aids by Sergei Kochkin
(PDF 1.84MB)

The Top 5 Reasons

“A hearing instrument won’t help me” - 90% of respondents There are still many misconceptions surrounding what hearing instruments can and can’t do. For example, 33% of respondents cited unilateral hearing loss as the reason for not using a hearing instrument; others claimed their personal hearing loss (whether high frequency or low frequency) could not be helped by a hearing instrument.

“I don’t need a hearing instrument” - 77% of respondents Despite admitting to severe communication difficulties, most people still underestimate the severity of their hearing loss and play down the disruption it causes. Before a candidate is ready to purchase a hearing instrument they not only need to recognize their hearing loss, but they must also recognize that it creates problems for them and others and perceive these problems as outweighing the cost – both financial, psychological and emotional – of getting a hearing instrument.

“Hearing instruments don’t work” - 68% of respondents Negative attitudes to hearing instruments abound, with one in five people adversely affected by negative word of mouth from family and friends. Many people believe hearing instruments “don’t work”, that they “amplify background noise”, “whistle”, “perform poorly in crowds”, are “inconvenient to use” and “can not be used on the phone”. However, less than 50% of these people actually have personal experience of wearing a hearing instrument.

“I can’t afford it” – 64% of respondents
A convenient excuse often heard but American research indicates that it is often true. This same group of people indicated that they would reconsider their decision to purchase a hearing instrument based on a $500 tax credit.

“I don’t want to look old” – 48% of respondents
There is still stigma attached to wearing hearing instruments, maybe even greater than is indicated by the 48% of people who are afraid it will make them appear old and fragile. The average age of a person with a hearing instrument is 8 to 15 years older than someone with the equivalent hearing loss who doesn’t have a hearing instrument. This is because hearing instruments are seen as something only elderly people wear. Yet 65% of people with a hearing loss are below retirement age – and would arguably receive greater benefit from a hearing instrument than someone who no longer needed to use one in a workplace.

Understanding the obstacles that prevent people seeking a solution to their hearing loss is only part of the problem, but it is perhaps the most important part. Fore-armed with this knowledge we can begin to develop strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

Don’t forget that most CPD schemes will allocate points for reading relevant journals or white papers. Be sure to include the time you spend reading white papers on your personal CPD log forms.