Sohini Saha, Leslie M. Collins, Sherri L. Smith, Boyla O. Mainsah
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, over 466 million people worldwide suffer from disabling hearing loss, with approximately 34 million of these being children. Hearing aids (HA) and cochlear implants (CI) have become indispensable tools for restoring hearing and enhancing the quality of life for individuals with hearing impairments. Clinical research and consumer studies indicate that users of HAs and CIs report significant improvements in their daily lives, including enhanced communication abilities and social engagement and reduced psychological stress. Modern auditory prosthetic devices are more advanced and interconnected with digital networks to add functionality, such as streaming audio directly from smartphones and other devices, remote adjustments by audiologists, integration with smart home systems, and access to artificial intelligence-driven sound enhancement features. With this interconnectivity, issues surrounding data privacy and security have become increasingly pertinent. There is limited research on the usability perceptions of current HA and CI models from the perspective of end-users. In addition, no studies have investigated consumer mental models during the purchasing process, particularly which factors they prioritize when selecting a device. In this study, we assessed participants' satisfaction levels with various features of their auditory prostheses. This work contributes to the field by addressing gaps in user perceptions of HA and CI usability, identifying key factors in consumer purchasing decisions, and highlighting the need for improved privacy and security awareness and education among users.