Research drives changes to make hearing health care more accessible and affordable

Statement from NIDCD director Debara L. Tucci and NIDCD program officer Kelly King

May 5, 2020

(Left image) Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health (@NIDCDdirector). (Right image) Kelly King, Au.D., Ph.D., research audiologist and program officer at the NIDCD.

Approximately 15% of U.S. adults report some degree of hearing loss. Hearing aids and other assistive devices can significantly improve the quality of life for many people, but only one in four adults who could benefit from hearing aids has ever used these devices, citing roadblocks such as cost, stigma, perception that they are not effective, and limited access to hearing health care.

As the lead federal agency supporting research and initiatives to prevent, detect, and treat hearing loss, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has made research on improving access to and affordability of hearing health care a priority over the past decade.

This article is adapted from an original article published in The Hearing Journal.