Apple AirPods Pro 2 with Hearing Aid Tech? What We Know.
A few days ago, Apple hosted one of their flagship Events, where they typically showcase new products, innovative updates, and features designed to excite their fanbase and drum up media and consumer interest.
While this Event didn’t include anything quite as groundbreaking as the release of their iPhone or iPod products, one update did capture the attention of many healthcare professionals: AirPods as hearing aids.
That’s right, according to Apple, they will be releasing a software update this fall that will modify their AirPods Pro 2 to include not only a hearing protection feature but also hearing aid functionality.
Apple was one of the first tech organizations outside of the hearing care space to partner with hearing aid manufacturers back in 2013 in the development of made for iPhone hearing aids.
While this step is one that places Apple further into the health space, here’s why we think this move shouldn’t alarm hearing care professionals
It raises awareness about the importance of hearing care
As many of you in hearing care are well aware, the people who are in need of hearing care and hearing technology are drastically underserved.
Whether it be the stigma many people associate with wearing hearing aids, or a simple lack of awareness of how many of us are exposed to unsafe sounds on a daily basis, too many people for far too long have resisted getting the hearing care they need.
To be clear: This Apple update is not what I would call hearing care, but what it does do is help normalize the need for awareness of our hearing health. And that’s a good thing!
It will help normalize wearing hearing technology
For decades, hearing technology manufacturers around the world have invested time, energy, and money into making hearing devices smaller and more discrete for the wearer.
Concurrently, as cellular and Bluetooth technology has advanced, it has become increasingly common for people to wear headsets, earbuds, and other devices designed for listening to music, podcasts, and having conversations.
This, I believe, is a positive thing for the hearing care industry in the long run because, again, it helps to normalize what hearing care professionals have wanted for so long — to make people feel comfortable wearing technology and empowered by its support.
It will familiarize people with aspects of the testing process
According to Apple, this new software update will also include a hearing test feature that will give AirPods wearers a basic understanding of their hearing health.
Many people tend to avoid taking care of their general health due to a fear of the unknown, and while this phone activity can only replicate one small portion of the hearing care experience as conducted by a professional, it does help showcase that hearing care doesn’t need to be a scary thing to experience.
This technology cannot replace the critical role of a hearing care professional
Similar to personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), The FDA has not yet approved Apple’s new hearing technology (though Apple did state that they expect to receive FDA approval in the near future).
Even so, this would place the technology somewhere near over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. In all of these cases, there is an element missing from the hearing care process that can’t be replaced by increasing access to the technology: The power of the provider.
Having worked with hearing care professionals for a good portion of my career, I’ve seen first-hand how technology itself isn’t the key to the best possible outcomes — it’s the provider.
Their ability to work collaboratively with the technology wearer (and often their families), understand the unique hearing challenges they are facing, and what their goals are, means that they can create a more personalized solution and ongoing care. This is all vital to hearing care.
Additionally, patients with mild (and sometimes moderate) hearing loss, are those who benefit from PSAPs and OTC devices, but as you know, their hearing health will inevitably change. As a person’s hearing continues to diminish over time, their need for a hearing care professional’s support only increases.
If something like Apple AirPods makes these folks more comfortable in receiving professional care, then that’s ultimately a good thing, in my opinion.
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