Despite the known benefits of hearing aids in age-related hearing loss (ARHL), abandonment rates remain notably high in certain South American countries. Understanding factors that contribute to abandonment is critical, given the resources allocated and the adverse outcomes of leaving ARHL untreated....
Audiologists should prioritise real-ear measurement verification to minimise insertion gain–target gain discrepancies, as larger discrepancies are associated with significantly higher hearing aid abandonment rates in older adults.
This study provides empirical support for real-ear measurement best practices and highlights that fitting accuracy is a modifiable factor in hearing aid abandonment — a major public health and economic issue.
- 01Larger gaps between measured insertion gain and prescribed target gain were linked to hearing aid abandonment in older Chileans.
- 02Study population: older adults with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) in Chile.
- 03Published in Scientific Reports; adds real-world, non-English-speaking population data to fitting literature.
- 04Findings reinforce the clinical importance of real-ear measurement (REM) during hearing aid fitting.
- 05Hearing aid abandonment rates remain a significant global clinical and economic problem.
Discrepancies between insertion gain and target gain are associated with higher rates of hearing aid abandonment in older adults.
studysupportedAccurate hearing aid fitting (minimising gain discrepancies) may reduce abandonment rates.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42448728
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-026-59511-w.
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Older Chilean adults with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
- Intervention
- Hearing aid fitting with varying degrees of insertion gain–target gain discrepancy
- Comparator
- Fittings with smaller or no insertion gain–target gain discrepancy
Primary outcomes
Hearing aid abandonment rate; Magnitude of discrepancy between insertion gain and target gain