The British and Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA)—a trade association for the hearing care industry that raises consumer awareness of hearing technology—has released the combined Q3 2017 results showing the unit sales of its member companies, BIHIMA announced on its website.

Please click here for a full copy of the 2017 Q3 Market Statistics report. BIHIMA 2017 Market Statistics Q3

The BIHMA reports what they call “improved growth” in the number of units distributed through the private market in both the UK and Ireland. According to the report, the private market in the UK has grown by 7% on Q2 2017, up from 74,428 to 79,627 units sold, which results in year-to-date growth of 3.3% for 2017 Q3 YTD compared to the same quarter in 2016.

At the end of last year, BIHIMA reported rapid growth in the Irish market following the economic downturn, but the figures dipped unexpectedly in the first half of 2017. However, the BIHIMA reports renewed momentum in the Irish market in Q3, with the number of units sold up to 14,539. Meanwhile, the number of units distributed through the National Health Service (NHS) in Q3 was down 1.1% on Q2 of this year, but the figure increased by 0.6% in 2017 Q3 YTD compared to 2016 Q3 YTD.

BIHIMA also tracks the trends in the types of technology being selected by patients in the private sector. According to the BIHIMA,  the Q3 results demonstrate the continued decline of Behind-the-Ear (BTE) technology, down at 4.5% of the market share, compared to the Receiver-in-the-Ear (RITE) style, which now accounts for 67.7% of units sold privately.

“We are pleased to see the pickup in both the UK and Irish private markets this quarter,” said BIHIMA Chairman Paul Surridge. “We hope this is evidence of more people taking their hearing health really seriously and seeking the very best solutions.”

In its role as the voice for the hearing technology industry, BIHIMA releases the results of its members every quarter. To keep up-to-date with the latest market information, download the results here: http://www.bihima.com/resources/.

Source: BIHIMA