Hearing Aid Accompanying Smartphone Apps in Hearing Healthcare. A Systematic Review

Abstract

Hearing Healthcare is in the midst of a paradigm shift due to increasing technologies and a changing patient generation. Hearing aids come up with more and more functions that have become possible due to the connection with smartphones and already a mayor part of the current patients is familiar using them via mobile applications. These apps are not only the interface between the hearing aids and the user, but also between the user and its Hearing Care Professional. This Systematic Review, based on the PRISMA model, analyzed 1712 articles with the aim to filter them concerning to hearing aid accompanying smartphone apps. A total of ten articles were included in the qualitative synthesis because they contribute to the research field of those smartphone applications in terms of classification and assessment, practical application or implementation in the fitting process. It could be concluded, that engaging the patients more into the process of hearing aid fitting via smartphone apps, will lead to better hearing aid outcomes in terms of satisfaction and benefits, usage and hearing quality.