Effectiveness of Over-the-Counter Self-Fit Hearing Aids

Several small and short-term studies have shown that over-the-counter (OTC) self-fit hearing aids perform as well as audiologist-fitted aids at lower cost, potentially expanding treatment access. A recent randomized trial showed similar effectiveness with self-fit or audiologist-fit hearing aids at 6 weeks (NEJM JW Gen Med May 15 2023 and JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023; 149:522); now, in an extension of that trial involving 44 of the original 64 participants (mean age, 63 years), researchers have reported 8-month outcomes. Participants had mild-to-moderate hearing loss generally associated with aging, and all received the same hearing aid. Audiologists fitted one group using best practices of matching hearing aid settings with specifi…