Wendy Cheung found it challenging to hear what other people were saying in noisy public places and meetings. Sometimes she’d have to ask her husband to repeat himself — more than once — even when he was seated directly across from her.

Dr. Li Qi, VGH senior audiologist and practice leader.

When it comes to hearing loss, and denial, Dr. Li Qi, senior audiologist and practice leader at VGH, has heard it all. “People will say they can’t hear because the other person is mumbling or they couldn’t understand an accent or there was too much background noise. On average it takes six years for someone to get help with their hearing issue.”

Stigma of hearing aids

One in three Canadians over 65 has a hearing loss. When unaddressed, hearing loss can lead to social isolation and even cognitive decline. For every 10-decibel hearing loss there may be up to a 30 percent increase in cognitive decline, says Dr. Qi, referencing a 2013 study from John Hopkins University.

Still, some patients are reluctant to begin using hearing aids.

When Wendy was first told she had mild to moderate hearing loss and would benefit from hearing aids, she rejected that solution. “In China, hearing aids mean you’re old, or you’re disabled,” says Wendy, now in her late forties. Relocated to Vancouver from Beijing four years ago, she was already self-conscious about her English language skills.

Used to that type of reaction, Dr. Qi suggested an interim solution: smartphone hearing aid applications.

An interim solution

Dr. Paul Mick, ear, nose and throat specialist.

Dr. Qi, principal investigator, and mentors Drs. Paul Mick, an ear, nose and throat specialist, and Kathy Pichora-Fuller, a psychologist with the University of Toronto, devised a study comparing the results of smartphones and free hearing aid apps to those of traditional hearing aids. Four apps — EarMachine, BioAid, Petralex and Microphone — were tested and the results revealed hearing improvement of up to 80 percent.

Dr. Kathy Pichora-Fuller, psychologist.

However, Dr. Qi is quick to emphasize that these apps aren’t meant to replace hearing aids. “They’re an early intervention tool that provides patients a chance to experience amplification and improve their hearing from between 20 to 80 percent in a low-cost way, free of stigma,” he explains.

Wendy tried EarMachine using earbuds at talks or while listening to music but eventually she realized that hearing aids would be a more convenient solution. “When I’m on an airplane, the hearing aids adjust to loud noises and to specific environments. I like that convenience,” she says, acknowledging gratitude for Dr. Qi’s help and patience. “He explained everything so thoroughly and adjusted them until they were right.”

Well received at World Congress of Audiology

At the 33rd World Congress of Audiology in Vancouver, Dr. Qi was excited at how well the study was received. Many countries, especially those with fewer medical resources and where people can’t afford hearing aids but where smartphones are ubiquitous, expressed interest.

Drs. Qi, Mick and Pichora-Fuller are now intent on publishing their study while aiming for a second investigation to evaluate whether smartphone hearing aid apps reduce the time it takes for those experiencing hearing loss to seek medical intervention.

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