eHealth for Hearing - New Views and Apps Practicalities

Abstract

Background:We are observing a silent and disrupting revolution in the hearing health care practice due to the pervasive use of eHealth methods and technologies, in particular mobile apps. This situation is very new, e.g., in the novel interactions and relationship between actors, in the implicit knowledge relevant to actors, and in the acquisition and comprehension of health messages and fragmented, e.g., in knowledge, standardization, regulation, and in methods for quality evaluation, so here we propose a new paradigm. Objectives: We want to contribute to the definition of the boundaries and rules of the new 'eHealth4Hearing' paradigm. Methods: Starting from the needs perceived by people with hearing disabilities, we formulated a new 'eHealth4Hearing' paradigm and gave practical examples on its application. Results: The 'eHealth4Hearing' paradigm is delivering a new patient-centered model where people have (1) tools for at-home checking of hearing status to monitor or to detect early hearing disabilities;(2) tools to acquire meaningful, accurate and personalized information on how their hearing condition may affect their lives and to simulate how different rehabilitation solutions will work for them; (3) tools for self fitting/control of hearing systems; (4) personalized solutions for sound enhancement through smartphones for people that do not require traditional hearing aids; (5) at-home interactive rehabilitation programs adapting to their speech and communication skills. Conclusions: Researches have to be devoted to further boost the potential of 'eHealth4Hearing' and must address issues concerning safety, privacy, legal regulations, reliability and quality of the apps.Can we describe the practical differences between the historically intended hearing care environment and the envisaged 'eHealth4Hearing' one?Could the 'eHealth4Hearing' environment help improve some of the several keywords-for-hope that emerged, such as patientc 2015 EuroMISE s.r.o.

The use of ecological momentary assessment in hearing research and future clinical applications

“…The use of mobile devices and apps by health professionals in fields other than hearing care has been shown to support better clinical decision-making, greater engagement and improved patient outcomes (Ventola, 2014). As Tognola et al (2015) point out, hearing health care is undergoing a digital transformation with the increased use of eHealth technologies such as mobile apps. With the increase in smartphone and mobile device ownership in all age groups (Pew Research Center, 2015), hearing health care is well-positioned to harness the benefits that mobile apps can provide.…”

Designing Connections for Hearing Rehabilitation

“…A recent review of such apps identified 203 applications categorised as apps for screening and self-testing, education and information, assistive tools and mobile applications supporting users with easy ways to amplify sound [34]. However, eHealth solutions connecting key actors in hearing healthcare remain a vision, rather than current practice [7]; yet the scenario is presented as 'a silent and disrupting revolution in the hearing health care practice' offering opportunities for 'novel interactions and relationships between actors' [39]. Challenges in relation to eHealth solutions include adherence, quality, effectiveness and privacy [34].…”

eHealth and the hearing aid adult patient journey: a state-of-the-art review

“…The portable and instant nature of mobile devices and applications can enable on-demand information and data sharing, and open up for an abundance of personalized mHealth solutions connecting different actors such as professionals, patients, families and significant others. Apps are frequently described as appealing to the tech-savvy generation of baby-boomers and could, together with online home-based rehabilitation, supplement the professional toolbox and enable patient-centred healthcare [ 5 , 7 , 21 ]. At the same time, the issues and challenges of mHealth in HHC are still a matter of debate and the clinical adoption of mobile solutions is rather limited [ 5 ].…”

“…In the field of audiology, Cherry and Rubinstein suggested the use of eHealth for patient follow-up as early as in 1994 [ 20 ], introducing remote follow-up by telephone following face-to-face fittings of hearing aids (HAs). Use of eHealth has grown since then and, to date, several solutions are available for various hearing-related conditions (e.g., hearing loss (HL), tinnitus, balance problems) and for different target user groups (e.g., children with cochlear implants, parents of children with HL, adults fitted with HAs or implantable devices, older adults, patients suffering from tinnitus) [ 6 , 7 , 10 ]. Recently, the ecosystem of eHealth solutions has grown further and includes interesting developments in the field of mobile apps for patients and their families, for professionals, or for the general population [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 21 ].…”

“…In general, eHealth promises to pave the way to more effective hearing healthcare for adults and might be helpful to leverage patient outcomes and satisfaction with its several applications and potential benefits, e.g. in data collection, teleconsultation, remote monitoring, remote fitting, or delivery of educational programs for patients (e.g., [ 7 , 10 , 22 , 23 ]). Use of eHealth can be effective in terms of cost, resources, and time and enables personalized approaches to hearing rehabilitation, for example in terms of content, depth of detail, and interfaces.…”