The rise of the ‘healthables’

Health and body tracking isn’t anything new, take the Fitbit wearables and Garmin watch offerings for example.  But the ear is historically a great place to gather accurate health tracking information.  In so many ways, the ear is the new wrist.

Before healthables graced the audiology scene, hearing aids have always provided wearers with better overall health and quality of life when compared to those who do not.  In fact, hearing aids are known to successfully improve communication, self-confidence, mental health, relationships, as well as social and work-life scenarios.  That was then, what about now?

Over the past few years hearing aids have had a face-lift, already showing impressive evolution since Starkey’s holistic approach to better hearing with their Livio range back in 2018.  In short, these were clever devices including tracking features.

Then 2022 saw Phonak hit the market with Audeo Fit and the first hearing aid, at launch, with a heart rate monitor.  We are now into 2023 and this new era of bold healthable technology and philosophy shows no signs of slowing down.

Better hearing, better living

Ensuring better hearing support is at the forefront of all hearing aid technological development, the audiology industry is pathing the way for a multi-purpose attitude towards improving the quality of life for those with hearing loss.  Giving wearers who want to monitor their own health and connectivity without sacrificing on listening experience is fast becoming a consumer priority.

Tackling the challenges of hearing loss from all angles with hearing ecosystems that allow the wearer to not just benefit from an optimum hearing experience, personalisation, and connectivity – but to truly thrive will eventually become the ‘norm’.

Empowering you beyond hearing improvement

Hearing aids promote better activity levels and balance because of the environmental awareness they bring.  The modern heathable hearing aids offer so much more with digital solutions that play a vital role in healthy living.  Offering awareness, tracking and personal data to improve and take charge of your health and well-being.

Hearing aids with health-tracking features has gained popularity in recent years. Such devices not only amplify sound to help individuals with hearing loss hear more clearly, but they also include sensors and technology that can track various health metrics and send the data to a smartphone or other device for tracking and analysis.

One of the main health-tracking features that is often included in these hearing aids is the ability to track physical activity. Many of these devices include sensors that can track steps taken, distance travelled and other metrics related to physical activity. This can be helpful for individuals who want to support and maintain an active lifestyle and monitor their progress over time.

You can now enjoy features such as heart rate sensors, cognitive, engagement and activity tracking that monitor physical movement, social life and how your heart is responding to such efforts.  There are also assistive features like fall alerts and reminders, sending an alert to loved ones if you were to fall and reminding you to take medication.

Some healthable hearing aids also supply personal data-sharing features that send information about how well you’re hearing, your movement and engagement – giving peace of mind to those you love or vital data your audiologist needs to make adjustments for you.

AI is redefining what we know

Artificial Intelligence or AI is implemented within hearing solutions and allows for such benefits as greater personalisation, automation and tailored listening experiences.  AI also makes healthable hearing aids possible.   For example, 3D motion sensor technology like gyroscopes or accelerometers detect gestures, movement and supply accurate information on steps, engagement, and activity, as well as how well you are hearing.

These new health, fitness and well-being hearing aids are slowly starting to dominate the hearing aid market – redefining what a hearing aid can do.  Such an influx in technology is answering the consumer tick list of today, as they bridge the gap between the hearing healthcare and consumer tech markets.

These next-generation hearing aids reflect the growing digital nation we now live in, as those with hearing loss simply want more than controlling the way they want to hear and connect.  There’s a lot to be said for maintaining your independence and quality of life and the evolved hearables fully embody that.  Having the tools that will make a positive impact and have the potential to unleash a healthier version of yourself.

In conclusion

Healthable hearing aids can be useful for individuals who want to track their overall health and wellness, as well as those who may have specific health conditions that require monitoring.  By combining the benefits of a traditional hearing aid with the added convenience and functionality of health-tracking features, these devices can help individuals to lead a more active and healthier lifestyle.

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The new brand vision, Sound of the New Age, reflects today’s consumer commitment to live life to the fullest, according to James Gilchrist, President of HearUSA.

“Hearing loss is the third most common physical condition people face everyday and currently only 1 in 5 of those affected take the necessary steps to experience the benefits of better hearing,” Gilchrist said. “Globally, nearly 1.6 billion people have hearing loss, 430 million of whom have disabling hearing loss. Yet only 20% of these people have, to date, been empowered to act.”

“HearUSA is going to change this reality by serving as the hearing care retailer best able to champion the voice of the consumer, normalize the conversation around hearing loss, and introduce consumers to the positive transformation of hearing enhancement,” he emphasized.

The new HearUSA brand unites all WS Audiology hearing care retail brands under the HearUSA name, including Florida Medical Hearing Centers, Audiological Consultants of Atlanta, Sound Advice Hearing Aid Centers, The Kaplan Hearing Center, Hearing Rehab Centers, and Tustin Hearing, among others.

“The launch of the new HearUSA creates a single unified network of hearing care centers, staffed by Hearing Care Professionals, that are united to solve the global hearing care challenge starting with one million more lives changed over the next five years in the United States,” Gilchrist continued.

As part of its commitment to transform the hearing aids industry and better serve clients, HearUSA plans to open a series of reimagined hearing experience centers over the next several years that will reframe client assumptions about every aspect of hearing aids.

In all HearUSA locations, clients will now also be able to hear better immediately, and without the wait, thanks to a new HearUSA website offering the ability to book appointments online. HearUSA’s unique Hear Better Today program also equips clients with hearing aids the same day they are evaluated so they don’t have to wait to experience the life changing benefits that hearing aids deliver.

In addition to offering the very best performance value on hearing aids, HearUSA’s leadership in insurance enables clients to get the most from their benefits while also offering flexible financing to expand access to better hearing. What’s more, HearUSA is committed to making sure all clients can immediately experience the benefits of hearing aids with its no-risk trial program.

“Today the world of health has changed. New service models are enhancing and improving how we access care, and technology is giving consumers more control. HearUSA is setting a new standard in hearing care,” Gilchrist explained.

The unification also provides HearUSA teams with a single organizational structure that will enhance company-wide communication, strengthen customer and HCP support programs, and expand the ongoing dialogue between Hearing Care Professionals and HearUSA through the formation of a new HearUSA HCP Advisory Board.

The board exists expressly for the purpose of providing feedback and professional practice expertise to the HearUSA support center and corporate team on matters related to client care and the overall success of the business to deliver on the promise to provide Simply Excellent Hearing Care to their clients. The board consists of a representative group of HearUSA HCPs that meet monthly to develop key programs and initiatives.

“As HearUSA strives to change lives through better hearing and achieve our ambition to change one million more lives by 2028, we recognize the critical role our HCPs have in shaping the future of our organization,” said HCP Advisory Board Chair Dan Troast, AuD. “The insights provided by our HCPs on key initiatives are essential to our organization’s ability to provide the best client care. This is the aspiration from which the HearUSA HCP Advisory Board is formed.”

Acknowledging the boldness of the new HearUSA vision, Gilchrist stressed that while the journey will be accomplished over a period of years, the outcome is clear.

“Today’s launch of a revitalized, re-positioned HearUSA brand represents the start of a long-term journey for our company, our hearing care professionals, and the millions of people we will help. The Sound of the New Age has arrived, and it will transform everything connected to the way we speak about and experience healthy hearing,” he promised.

Formed in 2019, through the merger of Sivantos and Widex, WS Audiology combines over 140 years’ experience in pioneering the use of technology to help people with hearing loss hear the sounds that make life wonderful.

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The importance of quality hearing

Hearing plays such an extremely important part in our ability to communicate and interact socially and physically. Left untreated hearing problems can have a significant influence upon the way we continue to live our lives.

Hearing loss is degenerative, worsening with age and noise exposure, meaning that for millions of people, untreated hearing loss has the potential to result in future health problems.

A reduction in hearing capacity means that the brain must work harder to process the sounds you can hear. This additional processing can result in the brain becoming overloaded, making you more tired, and meaning your brain has less capacity for memory. Over time these reductions in cognitive ability have been shown to lead to a variety of health concerns including depression, social isolation and even accelerate the onset of age-related conditions like dementia.

From hearing aids to sensory augmentation

Many people with hearing loss suffer with the problem without seeking help. This can be a result of feelings of embarrassment that can come with wearing hearing aids, that have traditionally been clunky and uncomfortable in design, or from people seeing it as ‘just part of the aging process’.

For others, that may have tried hearing aids, the experience often falls short because of failings with the hearing technology, which has in the past resulted in distorted sounds, whistling feedback or discomfort for the wearer.

In recent years improved technology, combined with the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence has resulted in a revolution in hearing technology. Long gone are the days of clunky hearing aids that fail to improve the lives of wearers. Instead, this new breed of hearing tech has taken hearing aids and given them a 21^st century makeover.

Manufacturers like Widex, who have a long history in developing cutting-edge hearing technology, have risen to the challenge, meaning that hearing devices are more about sensory augmentation than simply amplifying sounds.

Devices like the Widex MOMENT hearing aids are designed to seamlessly fit within our modern lives providing the wearer with a high degree of comfort while enhancing conversations, phone calls, entertainment and all those daily interactions that rely upon our sense of hearing.

Widex MOMENT and PureSound

We recently tested the WIDEX MOMENT hearing aids, devices that bring together decades of research into a wearable specifically designed to reduce many of the common problems associated with conventional hearing technology.

Traditionally, sound processed in a digital hearing aid reaches the eardrum later than sound travelling directly into the ear, resulting in distorted, artificial sound caused by the “comb-filter effect”. This has long been a barrier to hearing aid acceptance.

WIDEX MOMENT PureSound is scientifically proven to process sound 8-20 times faster than any other manufacturer, eradicating the comb-filter effect to deliver more natural sound in the hearing aid.

According to company tests WIDEX’s patented ZeroDelay technology delivers sound to the eardrum in 0.5ms, compared with competitor averages of 6-8ms.

Widex MOMENT hearing aids also support the ability to stream from Apple iOS and Android devices, allowing a user to experience higher sound quality when listening to music, video chatting or making calls.

Enhanced hearing for all situations

In the past hearing aid wearers have only been able to benefit from enhancement applied across all sounds and situations. This often leads to ambient, or background noise, being boosted just as much as voices, or the other noises that wearers want to hear. This blanket approach often results in annoying sound interference and difficulty processing particular sound-related situations.

Widex have taken this problem and developed MySound – an AI-enhanced approach to sound filtering whereby the technology infers which sounds to enhance based upon the user’s intention.

Instead of being singularly programmed to enhance sound in all situations – with no distinction between what users want to hear and don’t – MySound automatically adjusts based on your intention.

For example, users can select their activity through the Widex MOMENT app, such as dining, then choose their intent, such as concentration. Based on those selections, My Sound draws on tens of thousands of real-life data points and instantly presents customized options.

Widex MOMENT hearing technology in review

In our review, the impact of Widex’s machine learning algorithms and sound processing was instantaneous. Even for someone with no significant hearing loss the difference in quality and reduction in interference from feedback and other ambient noise was considerable.

My Sound is integrated into the Widex MOMENT app and is the home for all the powerful AI personalization Widex offers.

For a true test of the technology, we also asked long-time hearing aid sufferer Mark to trial the Widex MOMENT devices. As someone with moderate hearing loss, Mark falls into the category of people who are aware of their hearing loss, however, due to shortcomings with traditional technology have chosen to avoid using hearing aids.

Prior to the test Mark described his experience of using hearing aids in the past.

“For me the lack of definition in hearing enhancement made using hearing aids virtually impossible. I could hear the sounds of my footsteps louder than many ambient noises, yet when presented with a conversation all I tended to hear was feedback. The persistent whistling, and distortion, were also quite disorientating and at many times more isolating than dealing with the hearing loss. Units in the past have also proven very uncomfortable to wear.”

For the review Mark was set up with a calibrated set of Widex MOMENT hearing aids and provided some quick training in using the accompanying Widex MOMENT app. The results were significant.

“For the first time I can wear hearing aids without really knowing that I am wearing hearing aids” commented Mark. “The impact was instantly noticeable with the sound clarity and lack of feedback, just not being an issue. I have been extremely impressed with the way that the devices have easily fitted into everyday life, something I have not previously experienced with any hearing aids before.”

“Conversations and everyday situations have become much easier, and the devices are so comfortable to wear that I often forget that I have them on.”

According to research from the company other wearers feel the same. In recent tests 95% of wearers felt that the sound produced using the Widex Moment technology was ‘natural’ and ‘clear’ with the sound of their own voice being perceived as ‘natural’ too.

The importance of hearing care

Widex also provides its wearers with a much greater degree of customisation. Using the Widex MOMENT App users can easily customise their devices to fit within particular situations or activities.

In review, we found the app to be extremely intuitive meaning that for day-to-day use there was very little adjustment required. Adapting the settings for specific situations, like listening to music or watching TV was easy, using the pre-calibrated AI-supported programs. The app also allows you to develop your own programs that blend specific hearing qualities for different activities. These are then available for rapid adjustment.

Modern hearing technology has also updated the way that hearing care is provided. In the past wearers would often live with uncalibrated and outdated technology. Now hearing technology providers like Widex provide digitally-supported care.

While wearers are still required to make regular visits to their care provider (in order to monitor any decline in hearing ability), virtual consultations, predictive data analytics and automated calibration, provide wearers with a significantly improved experience.

In fact, the overall hearing aid experience has become something more akin to a modern wearable like the Apple Watch. Technology is allowing users to seamlessly integrate these solutions into their everyday lives with few, or no, complications. The result is a future that will hopefully mean hearing loss becomes a much less debilitating condition to millions than it currently is today.

By Matthew Driver – Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of mHealth

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He’s young, tech-savvy and a professional with an ambition to progress in his career. He has experienced hearing loss all his life, worn hearing aids throughout and always wrestled with a lack of confidence and self-consciousness because of it.

This customer is very real. He came to Boots Hearingcare recently and in addition to his small on the ear hearing solutions, we made some custom in-ear products for him. Essentially, it was a black faceplate that looks like a standard earbud, something that he could wear at night in order to be more aware should his baby cry. Beyond that, though, it enhanced his day-to-day life, made him feel comfortable and confident and removed awkward conversations he’d previously encountered when people saw his hearing aids.

Importantly, he felt connected throughout the day.

That customer has been blown away by how it’s changed his life – not in a revolutionary way, but by how it has simplified his life.

That cosmetic narrative in this conversation is what has allowed him to feel comfortable and confident. That accessibility is blurring the line of what is a hearing aid and just technology and is making the industry far more accessible.

That, of course, has been supported by the delivery of a superior experience.

Hearing aids are now multifunctional and even come with an app

You may remember a time when hearing aids came with fiddly controls that brought nothing but difficulty, especially for anyone that had dexterity issues.

That has advanced. A lot of hearing aids now come with an app on the phone, allowing the user to control the listening experience on a device they’re familiar with, while the ability for it to geotag and remember how an individual liked their settings is invaluable and is making the technology far more accessible and easier to control.

Bluetooth has also become a great enabler, helping a hearing aid go beyond what its name suggests. It’s making direct streaming music, radio, podcasts, and audiobooks as simple as it would be if you were wearing a pair of the latest Apple Airpods.

Initially, the limitation the industry faced was that hearing aids could be Bluetooth connected and paired to only one device at a time.

However, that barrier has also been totally removed. Not having the hassle of disconnecting from one device in order to connect with another is an important thing and just simplifies the way we go about our daily lives.

Image | Shutterstock.com

Hearing care pricing structures are more accessible than ever before

Recently, Boots Hearingcare launched its lowest ever price rechargeable hearing aid – the Starkey Livio 1000 R – available at less than £43 per month.

It’s easy to assume that the product will not be up to the same standard. Yes, it doesn’t offer full flexibility when it comes to bluetooth pairing but does offer direct streaming capability with great sound quality. A product like this is significantly better than any old analogue-type hearing aid and has more features than our lowest entry priced hearing aids.

We know monthly payment plans are a good enabler for people to be able to access higher levels of technology than they otherwise would if they were paying for a product in one lump sum. Going back, many years ago now, the price was a shock factor.

This is still a high-end product, one with exceptional sound quality, and is just one example of how life-enabling technology, like this, is available at an affordable payment price, similar to what you would take out for a phone contract.

Image | Starkey Livio 1000 R

Steps being taken to make accessible tech more accessible

Remember the customer I referenced at the beginning? What I believe we will see is the industry take strides to get accessible hearing care tech in front of people, like him, at a much earlier stage in their journey.

The online hearing care sales market is still an issue, in that sense, that we’re trying to navigate around. I can definitely see people being able to walk into one of our stores and wanting to try some technology that they can pair to their phone – the type of person that, perhaps, is only enduring mild hearing loss.

By training assistants up, we will be able to still do the necessary tests, demonstrations  and recommend a product that is either hearing-focused or just wearable. It won’t be prescribed, but it will be a product that will fill that gap before we start opening discussions about thorough investigative assessments.

That type of over-the-counter type hearing care product is emerging in America. We know the tech giants are starting to play in this field and that’s something we need to embrace if we are to widen the market, especially when you consider that there are approximately four million people out there who could benefit and enjoy this technology now. People often wait until their hearing loss gets significantly disabling and impacting on the quality of life before they act, by this time they have missed out on a lot.

Hearing care products are becoming more accessible, affordable, aesthetically good, and multifunctional. In the meantime, we will embrace that in our mission to widen the market and, as a result, our hope is that people will come to us sooner to ensure they enjoy an enhanced quality of life and can stay connected.

Written by Karen Shepherd, Director of Professional Standards at Boots Hearingcare

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