ArticleJMIR human factors2026
Facilitators and Barriers to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Use in People With Dementia: Semistructured Interview Study.
Article in JMIR human factors, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Over-the-counter hearing aids and integrated health-monitoring sensors: a review of clinical evidence and implementation.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOver-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids were introduced to improve the affordability and accessibility of hearing health care for adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss. While these devices have demonstrated effectiveness in cognitively healthy older adults-particularly in the domains of audibility, self-reported hearing ability, and speech recognition in quiet-their use and outcomes in people with dementia remain underexplored. This issue warrants further attention, as people with dementia often experience co-occurring hearing loss and may rely on OTC hearing aids to overcome cost and access barriers to prescription amplification. However, given the cognitive and functional challenges of dementia, it is unclear whether and how OTC hearing aids can support the hearing care needs of these individuals.
objectiveTo explore interest-holder perspectives on the feasibility and acceptability of OTC hearing aids for community-dwelling older adults with dementia, identifying key facilitators and barriers that influence their use in this population.
methodsSemistructured interviews were conducted with 45 participants across three interest-holder groups (15 per group): (1) community-dwelling older adults with dementia and hearing loss, (2) family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults with dementia and hearing loss, and (3) geriatric direct care professionals. Interviews were conducted and recorded via secure Zoom (Zoom Communications) videoconferencing, then transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.
resultsParticipants endorsed several facilitators and barriers to OTC hearing aid use in people with dementia. Facilitators included increased accessibility, perceived affordability and value, and enhanced autonomy and control. Barriers included mistrust of OTC hearing aids, difficulty assessing candidacy due to unreliable self- and proxy reports of hearing status, caregiver uncertainty regarding device programming and adjustment, challenges evaluating device effectiveness, and concerns about caregiver burden and burnout from long-term device management.
conclusionsOTC hearing aids offer meaningful advantages for people with dementia and their family caregivers. However, significant barriers must be addressed to ensure their feasibility and acceptability for this population. Future research should further examine and quantify these barriers to inform the development of tailored devices, services, and delivery models that promote successful OTC hearing aid use in people with dementia and their family caregivers.
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