There is a high prevalence of hearing loss in older adults, in contrast with a small proportion of people who seek help. Emerging developments in hearing healthcare could reduce costs but may not increase access.

This study evaluated older adults’ perceptions of current and future hearing healthcare services in Australia, England, US and Canada, to explore potential levers and system improvements. It found that perceived barriers, facilitators and preferences were largely consistent across countries, with stigma and trust in hearing healthcare being the barriers most often discussed by older people.

Although cost and access were consistently deemed important, there may be limited change in older people's help-seeking and hearing healthcare uptake unless the key barriers of trust and stigma are addressed, the study concludes. When seeking to undertake transformative change to healthcare it is important to engage recipients of care to understand existing barriers and coproduce a user-centered solution.