This study aimed to compare performance between unilateral and bilateral bone conduction hearing device (BCHD) use for speech understanding and subjective listening difficulty.
Findings may support recommending bilateral (two-device) bone conduction fittings over unilateral for eligible patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss, but full results should be reviewed before changing fitting protocols.
Evidence on bilateral bone conduction fitting is sparse; if bilateral use shows clear functional advantage, it could reshape prescriptive guidelines and insurance justification for this population.
- 01Compared unilateral vs. bilateral bone conduction hearing device use in children and adults.
- 02Outcomes included objective speech understanding and subjective listening difficulty.
- 03Population had conductive or mixed hearing losses — conditions affecting the outer/middle ear.
- 04Published in the American Journal of Audiology (AJA), a peer-reviewed source.
- 05Findings could have direct implications for bone conduction fitting recommendations.
Bilateral bone conduction hearing device use provides functional benefits over unilateral use for speech understanding and subjective listening difficulty.
studyunclear- PMID
- 42149707
- DOI
- 10.1044/2026_AJA-25-00123.
- Journal
- American Journal of Audiology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Children and adults with conductive and mixed hearing losses
- Intervention
- Bilateral bone conduction hearing device use
- Comparator
- Unilateral bone conduction hearing device use
Primary outcomes
Speech understanding; Subjective listening difficulty