Tinnitus is a highly prevalent condition that has no cure and can severely impair quality of life. Patients who receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and hearing aid therapy for chronic tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss have shown some improvement, but access to these interventions is limited....
If the app demonstrated significant efficacy, audiologists managing chronic tinnitus patients should consider whether a CBT-based digital therapeutic could complement or extend clinic-based tinnitus management — specific outcome data from the trial should be reviewed before adoption.
A rigorously tested, scalable digital CBT tool for chronic tinnitus could dramatically expand access to evidence-based tinnitus care beyond what clinic capacity currently allows.
- 01Randomised clinical trial (RCT) published in JAMA Otolaryngology evaluated a mobile app delivering CBT for chronic tinnitus.
- 02CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy — helping patients reframe distressing thoughts about tinnitus) is an established evidence-based approach.
- 03Digital delivery via app could offer a scalable, accessible alternative to in-person tinnitus therapy.
- 04RCT design provides a high level of evidence compared to most existing digital tinnitus tools.
- 05Findings are directly relevant to audiologists, hearing therapists, and tinnitus specialists.
A mobile application incorporating CBT is an effective digital therapeutic for chronic tinnitus.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42096236
- DOI
- 10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0858.
- Journal
- JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 1b
- Population
- Adults with chronic tinnitus
- Intervention
- Mobile application delivering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a digital therapeutic
- Comparator
- Control condition (likely waitlist, sham app, or usual care — not specified in abstract)
Primary outcomes
Tinnitus symptom burden or severity; Tinnitus-related distress or quality of life