Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40290594›Full record

ReviewSeminars in hearing2025

Potential Roles of Audiologists Supporting Patients' OTC Hearing Aid Journey.

Todd A Ricketts

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Seminars in hearing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Todd A RickettsDepartment of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are designed to be accessible as a self-guided experience, not requiring professional support. However, some individuals may pursue OTC hearing aids and also desire (limited) professional support. The purpose of this article was to explore the potential role of audiologists in patients' self-guided journeys with OTC hearing aids by examining four related questions. (1) Why might audiologists want to know about OTCs? (2) What types of patient support for OTC hearing aids might be beneficial for patients? (3) What additional knowledge and skills, outside of those already obtained for current prescription service delivery models, are necessary or useful? (4) What is the evidence base around service delivery as it extends to OTC hearing aids? Several potential professional support approaches are considered. While speculative due to the constraints of the limited current evidence base, potentially important factors, including the impact on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness, were included when possible. The introduction of OTC hearing aids has changed the hearing aid marketplace; however, the demand for both OTC and prescription hearing aids is only increasing. With these changes, interested audiologists have new and unique opportunities to support more patients by participating in the OTC hearing aid marketplace through the acquisition of new OTC-specific knowledge and through partnerships with other professionals and OTC providers.

Indexed as

hearing healthcareOTC hearing aidself-fitting hearing aidservice delivery

Identifiers

PMID40290594
PMCPMC12020622

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.