Demystifying hearing aid technology features through a novel iterative process in lexicon development

Lack of standardised information about hearing aid technologies presents a barrier to individuals seeking to understand and make informed choices about the hearing aid features they may benefit from. (1) To identify features in contemporary hearing aids as described in publicly available materials. (2) To develop a lexicon of hearing aid features that informs consumers about available technologies. A synthesis of published information on the features of contemporary hearing aids from six major manufacturers was conducted by a multidisciplinary research team. The analysis and categorisation of these findings was an iterative, agile process involving five distinct phases, Scoping, Extracting/Decoding, Mapping, Synthesising and Consulting. 119 documents/publications were included in this review. These materials comprised 14 product guides and specification data sheets, and 105 white papers and technical articles. We identified 253 unique features (e.g. Feedback Management) across 12 hearing aid devices (including both premium and entry-level models). This resulted in the development of a lexicon describing the core capabilities of modern hearing aids. Data synthesis identified key features of contemporary hearing aids across device models and manufacturers to inform the design of a lexicon for use by consumers.