Remote Technologies to Enhance Service Delivery for Adults: Clinical Research Perspectives

Abstract

There are many examples of remote technologies that are clinically effective and provide numerous benefits to adults with hearing loss. Despite this, the uptake of remote technologies for hearing healthcare has been both low and slow until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been a key driver for change globally. The time is now right to take advantage of the many benefits that remote technologies offer, through clinical, consumer, or hybrid services and channels. These include greater access and choice, better interactivity and engagement, and tailoring of technologies to individual needs, leading to clients who are better informed, enabled, and empowered to self-manage their hearing loss. This article provides an overview of the clinical research evidence-base across a range of remote technologies along the hearing health journey. This includes qualitative, as well as quantitative, methods to ensure the end-users' voice is at the core of the research, thereby promoting person-centered principles. Most of these remote technologies are available and some are already in use, albeit not widespread. Finally, whenever new technologies or processes are implemented into services, be they clinical, hybrid, or consumer, careful consideration needs to be given to the required behavior change of the key people (e.g., clients and service providers) to facilitate and optimize implementation.

Systematic review of patient and service outcome measures of remote digital technologies for cochlear implant and hearing aid users

“…Some recent studies indicate that audiologists are largely positive toward remote technology within service provision for hearing aids, and that the low uptake is a result of system barriers such as infrastructure, funding, and privacy regulations (D'Onofrio Zeng, 2021;Bennett et al, 2023a). This positivity from audiologists is not reflected in CI clinics, where there is more ambivalence, although there are similar barriers regarding infrastructure (Ferguson et al, 2023). These barriers sit within the resource use domain, which was one of the few outcome domains that had similar representation in both groups, albeit in only around a third of studies of both CI and hearing aid remote technology (31 and 38%, respectively).…”

Exploring Hearing Care Technology from Clinic to Capability

“…Holder et al thoroughly discuss the various remote technologies currently available for audiological care, demonstrating just how prepared our industry is, regardless of whether we are choosing to use the tools therein. 56…”