Distribution channels in the hearing aid industry are changing. As more individuals purchase hearing devices through direct-to-consumer sites, retail dispensing channels and third-party hearing aid service providers, the medical community will continue to lose medical oversight of this population.
From a medical management perspective, getting a hearing aid does not provide a continuum of care necessary to mitigate lifelong issues associated with age related hearing loss and its progression. Recognition of comorbid events associated with Sensori Neural Hearing Loss (SNHL) suggests that current treatment protocols may not be identifying critical patient maladies. How might treatment protocols change for SNHL if audiology is to position itself as a primary driver of the medical management team for patients with SNHL?
In today’s evolving health care landscape, we will explore what a continuum of care might look like for SNHL and tools to help medical professionals manage this cohort of patients.