HR Archives | High Performance Hearing Solutions, Vol 1 (January 1997 Hearing Review)
By Carole E. Johnson, PhD, and Jeffrey L. Danhauer, PhD
Recent advances in hearing aid technology provide prospective hearing instrument users with a variety of choices and a greater chance of achieving both cosmetic and acoustic satisfaction from their hearing aids than ever before in the history of amplification. However, some patients’ selection may still be driven by the fear of stigma or what is known in our profession as the “Hearing Aid Effect,” rather than the acoustic performance of the hearing aids in maximizing their communication potential. Hearing care providers should be aware of strategies for counseling prospective hearing aids users about making the best choices for the right reasons. This article 1) Summarizes research confirming the Hearing Aid Effect, and 2) presents a survey from three regions of the United States regarding dispenser attitudes toward the “cosmetics vs performance” issue, the profile of cosmetically sensitive patients, counseling strategies used with these patients, and suggestions for the hearing care field regarding the emphasis placed on hearing aid cosmetics.
Note: This article was published prior to the establishment of The Hearing Review‘s website, but is available via PDF to read and/or download by clicking here or on the image to the right.
Citation for this article: Johnson CE, Danhauer JL. The “Hearing Aid Effect” revisited: Can we achieve hearing solutions for cosmetically sensitive patients? In: Kochkin S, Strom K, eds. High Performance Hearing Solutions, Vol 1: Counseling. Hearing Review. 1997;4(1)[Suppl]:37-44. Available at: https://hearingreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/DanhauerJohnson_HearingAidEffect_0197HR.pdf
