Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis

Abstract

Hearing health care consumers are increasingly seeking online information regarding hearing aids and user experiences to aid their decision-making in seeking professional help or purchasing a hearing aid. One medium by which people gain information about hearing aids is through online consumer reviews. Yet, little is known about online hearing aid reviews and how they represent user experiences in relation to acquisition and use. This study used inductive thematic analysis to explore online hearing aid reviews. A retrospective design was used to extract 1,378 hearing aid reviews (open-text responses) from the www.hearingtracker.com website. Hearing aid users voluntarily reported on their hearing aid experiences in an open-text format. These responses were analysed using a qualitative inductive approach to identify themes within the dataset. The data was coded into meaningful units of information using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet by the student researcher and then cross-checked by an experienced researcher and supervisor, ensuring that the units themselves stayed true to their original meaning. Meaning units were then grouped by the researchers into domains, followed by categories of similar themes. Lastly the themes were grouped into categories of subthemes. From this analysis of the open-text reviews, three domains emerged from the data, containing eleven themes and 100 sub-themes. The Clinical Processes domain included themes of Hearing Assessment and Hearing Aid Acquisition. The domain The Device included themes of Function, Performance, Physical, Device Management and Maintenance. Lastly, The Person domain included themes of Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Personal Adjustment and Knowledge. The themes provided a rich description of the various factors, such as the hearing aid model, features, price, and the hearing health care professional factors that contribute to the hearing aid user experience. Hearing aid users’ reviews covered a range of positive, negative, and neutral descriptions about hearing aid user experience, including advice to other users that provide insight into hearing aid satisfaction and use. Most user experiences were positive regarding satisfaction and performance of the device, as well as device management. Generally, users felt more positive than negative about their hearing aid experience. They also felt more positive than indifferent when giving advice. The findings of this research could assist hearing health care professionals to develop a person-centered strategy to improve hearing aid fitting and user satisfaction. The hearing aid industry can also benefit from this knowledge, improving hearing aid design with information gained from comments covering aspects such as comfort and fit of the hearing aid. The approach of examining online user reviews has the potential to be a rapid way to develop knowledge about real-world hearing aid use and experience to inform person-centred practices.