Survey overview
EuroTrak UK 2012 was designed and conducted by Anovum on behalf of the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA). The study included a representative screening sample of 14,896 people and detailed interviews with 1,296 people with self-reported hearing loss, comprising 501 hearing aid owners and 795 non-owners.
Hearing loss and adoption
In EuroTrak UK 2012, 9.1% of the total population reported hearing loss, rising to 10.7% among adults aged 18 and over.
Hearing aid adoption increased to 41.1% among people with self-reported hearing loss, compared with 38.6% in 2009. Among adults with hearing loss, adoption was 42.2%, compared with 38.5% in 2009. Among hearing aid owners, 54% had binaural treatment, up from 47% in 2009.
Route to hearing care
26% of respondents had undergone a hearing test within the previous five years.
Among people with self-reported hearing loss, 73% had discussed their hearing loss with an ENT doctor and/or family doctor, while 56% were recommended hearing aids by one of these professionals.
GPs frequently acted as a referral point: 49% of GP consultations referred to an ENT and 38% to a hearing aid dispenser or audiologist, including NHS services. Among ENT consultations, 43% referred to a hearing aid dispenser or audiologist, while 37% recommended obtaining a hearing aid.
Hearing aid use and satisfaction
Hearing aids were worn for an average of 8.3 hours per day. 79% of currently owned hearing aids had been fitted in 2009 or later, and the average age of devices was 2.1 years. The median age of hearing aids before replacement was five years.
Overall, 72% of hearing aid owners were satisfied with their devices. Satisfaction was higher among people who wore their hearing aids for longer each day and among users with more recently acquired devices.
Users reported positive effects particularly in communication and social life. Hearing aid ownership was also associated with a lower reported risk of depression and forgetfulness. Among people with more significant hearing loss, owners also reported less evening exhaustion than non-owners.
NHS provision and awareness
The NHS was the main provider of hearing aids: 84% of hearing aid owners received NHS hearing devices.
Among non-owners, awareness of financial support was limited: 56% did not know whether insurance would pay for hearing aids, while 21% believed that it would not.
Barriers to adoption
The main reasons for not using hearing aids were believing they could still hear well enough and concerns that hearing aids would be uncomfortable.
The survey also found that 8% of hearing aid owners did not use their devices at all and 19% used them for less than one hour per day. The main reasons for very limited or no use were believing hearing aids did not restore hearing to normal, discomfort and feeling that the devices did not work.
12% of non-owners intended to obtain a hearing aid within the following year. Worsening hearing loss and advice from GPs, ENT specialists and NHS audiologists were among the most important influences on adoption.
Overall, EuroTrak UK 2012 shows increasing hearing aid adoption and extensive NHS provision, alongside substantial daily use and generally high satisfaction among owners. Perceived need and concerns about comfort remained important barriers among non-owners.
Source: Anovum – EuroTrak UK 2012.
