Survey overview
EuroTrak Switzerland 2022 was designed and conducted by Anovum on behalf of HSM and EHIMA. The study included a representative screening sample of 14,735 people and detailed interviews with 1,324 people with self-reported hearing loss, comprising 799 hearing aid owners and 525 non-owners.
Hearing loss and adoption
In EuroTrak Switzerland 2022, 7.4% of the total population reported hearing loss, rising to 8.9% among adults aged 18 and over. This was slightly lower than in 2018, when the figures were 7.7% and 9.1% respectively.
Hearing aid adoption increased to 46.0% of people with self-reported hearing loss, compared with 43.7% in 2018. Across the total population, 3.4% reported using hearing aids. Among hearing aid owners in the representative screening sample, 84% had binaural treatment, up from 81% in 2018.
Route to hearing care
30% of respondents had undergone a hearing test within the previous five years, compared with 34% in 2018. Family doctors conducted the largest share of these tests, followed by ENT specialists and hearing aid dispensers/audiologists.
Among people with self-reported hearing loss, 80% had discussed their hearing loss with an ENT doctor and/or family doctor, while 54% received a hearing aid recommendation from one of these professionals. Among ENT consultations, 46% resulted in referral to an audiologist and 30% in a recommendation to obtain a hearing aid.
Hearing aid use and satisfaction
Hearing aids were worn for an average of 10 hours per day. 59% of currently owned hearing aids had been purchased in 2019 or later, while the average age of devices was 4.1 years.
Overall satisfaction was high, with 86% of hearing aid owners satisfied with their devices, compared with 80% in 2018. 78% said their hearing aids worked as expected or better.
Users also reported substantial benefits. 98% said their hearing aids improved their quality of life at least sometimes, while 58% said they felt more confident moving around a city since wearing hearing aids. Positive effects were also reported in communication, participation in group activities, social life and sense of safety.
Reimbursement and digital tools
83% of hearing aid owners received full or partial third-party reimbursement, with partial reimbursement being most common. Among non-owners, 58% believed that at least some of the cost of hearing aids would be covered by a third party.
Digital tools were also widely used: 41% of hearing aid owners used a hearing aid app, and 81% of app users were satisfied with its performance.
Barriers to adoption
Among non-owners with more significant hearing loss, the main reasons for not using hearing aids were believing they could still hear well enough, the opinion of an ENT specialist, and concerns about affordability. Other reported barriers included discomfort, feeling that hearing loss was not severe enough, and concerns about performance in noisy situations.
Overall, EuroTrak Switzerland 2022 shows rising hearing aid adoption and high levels of satisfaction and daily use, while barriers related to perceived need, professional advice and affordability remain among non-owners.
Source: Anovum – EuroTrak Switzerland 2022.
