Have you seen ads in our local paper seeking “volunteers” for a “hearing aid study”? This type of deceptive advertising is frustrating to me. The only thing the advertiser is seeking, is to “study” how many people they can sell hearing aids to.
To their credit, they do mention you have to purchase the hearing aids, but it is still deceptive, because there is no true study involved.
Before a hearing aid can be approved for sale in the United States, it must go through truly rigorous study and a lengthy approval process through the FDA. As a graduate student at BYU, I was able to participate in a true study evaluating the effectiveness of a new type of hearing aid. Each potential participant’s hearing was evaluated, and then if they were a good candidate for the study, the participant was fit with trial hearing aids for FREE. In fact, each participant was compensated for their time and travel.
Each hearing aid manufacturer must go through numerous studies proving the effectiveness of their technology before they can get approval to market them. It takes many years to develop, test, manufacture, retest, redesign, and then finally gain FDA approval for a medical device.
The “wanted” advertisement in our local paper is a thinly veiled attempt to coerce you into their office. The hearing aids they are selling have already been through the FDA process. The object of the advertisement is to hopefully sell as many hearing aids as possible. PLEASE be aware, and be sure to consider all your options before you become a “participant”. There are many good hearing aid manufacturers with different types of technology, and some are better than others depending on the individual’s hearing loss and communication needs.
For a truly unbiased hearing evaluation, (it’s not free, but it is thorough). Call our office today.