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Barriers and Facilitators to OTC Hearing Aids Success

Key facts

Where
Iowa City and Nashville, United StatesSee the 2 sites

Could this be for you?

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 18 and 89 years old?

Source: NCT06499805, who can take part

Where in United States

  • University of IowaIowa City, United StatesContact: Yu-Hsiang Wu, PhDTaking people
  • Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, United StatesContact: Todd Ricketts, PhDTaking people

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Trial details

Who runs it
Yu-Hsiang Wu
Trial code
NCT06499805
Record updated
2 November 2026
Original description
Hearing aids can improve hearing, communication, and overall quality of life for people with hearing loss. However, not many people use hearing aids. A common reason is that hearing aids are expensive and hard to get. The traditional way to get hearing aids involves multiple visits to licensed audiologists for identifying hearing loss, customizing the aids, and ongoing maintenance. This traditional method is called the AUD pathway.Read full original descriptionShow less

Hearing aids can improve hearing, communication, and overall quality of life for people with hearing loss. However, not many people use hearing aids. A common reason is that hearing aids are expensive and hard to get. The traditional way to get hearing aids involves multiple visits to licensed audiologists for identifying hearing loss, customizing the aids, and ongoing maintenance. This traditional method is called the AUD pathway.

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids offer a different approach. They aim to make hearing aids more affordable and accessible, encouraging earlier use. In the OTC pathway, users diagnose their own hearing loss and fit and program the hearing aids themselves. Little is known about long-term effects of OTC hearing aids on users.

This study aims to compare the experiences of people who choose the OTC pathway with those who choose the AUD pathway. It takes place in two locations: Iowa City, IA, and Nashville, TN. Participants, who have mild-to-moderate hearing loss, choose their preferred pathway and are followed for 12 months. In the OTC pathway, participants buy their hearing aids directly from OTC companies or retailers. In the AUD pathway, prescription hearing aids and fitting services are provided by audiology clinics at the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Participants are contacted 1, 6, and 12 months after starting to use their hearing aids. Researchers measure their satisfaction about hearing aids and other outcomes. If participants stop using their hearing aids, researchers assess their engagement with post-amplification hearing care. The results from both pathways are then compared.

Inclusion: adult-onset, perceived bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss; no previous hearing aid experience.

Exclusion: Non-native speaker of English.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06499805