Hearing aids (HAs) can alleviate hearing loss; however, HA rehabilitation is frequently hampered by delayed diagnosis, suboptimal fitting and lack of systematic follow-up. Although the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline has been identified, evidence from randomised controlled trials remains limited....
This is a proof-of-concept protocol paper only; no results are yet available, so no practice change is warranted — but audiologists should monitor this trial as it addresses real gaps in hearing aid follow-up and fitting for older adults.
Systematic, data-driven rehabilitation protocols could address well-documented problems of delayed hearing-loss diagnosis and poor hearing-aid uptake and adherence in older adults, with potential to reshape standard care pathways.
- 01Proof-of-concept RCT protocol comparing data-driven hearing aid rehab to standard care in older adults.
- 02Targets three known care gaps: delayed diagnosis, suboptimal fitting, and lack of systematic follow-up.
- 03Published in BMJ Open; no results reported yet — this is a protocol paper.
- 04Trial framed under 'healthy hearing for healthy ageing' — linking hearing to broader health outcomes.
- 05Results, when available, could inform guidelines for structured audiological rehabilitation.
Standard hearing aid rehabilitation in older adults is hampered by delayed diagnosis, suboptimal fitting, and lack of systematic follow-up.
opinionpartially supportedData-driven hearing rehabilitation can improve outcomes compared to standard care in older adults with hearing loss.
studyunclear- PMID
- 42481198
- DOI
- 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-122681.
- Journal
- BMJ Open
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 1b
- Population
- Older adults with hearing loss
- Intervention
- Data-driven hearing aid rehabilitation
- Comparator
- Standard care
Primary outcomes
Hearing rehabilitation outcomes (audiological and functional); Feasibility and proof-of-concept metrics for trial design