MarkeTrak VIII Survey Results Are In

August 19, 2009

We are pleased to announce that the much anticipated eighth survey of the hearing loss population and hearing health industry (MarkeTrak VIII - 2008) is completed.

The goal of the MarkeTrak survey is to report on relevant trends and to explore new topics that are likely to contribute to our knowledge of the hearing aid owner population as well as the sizeable population of people with admitted hearing loss, who have chosen not to adopt amplification for their hearing loss. The first in a series of publications covering 25 year trends in the hearing loss population and hearing health market will be published in the Hearing Review in October.

Cathy Jones President of the Better Hearing Institute stated "MarkeTrak VIII continues to be the most comprehensive and unique hearing healthcare database since its inception. Drawing on a screening survey of 80,000 households using the National Family Opinion Panel and detailed surveys on more than 3,000 hearing aid owners and more than 4,000 people with hearing loss, who have not chosen amplification, it promises to contribute a wealth of information to all stake holders in the hearing health industry. We hope you find it as fruitful as we intend it to be! ".

Future publications in the MarkeTrak VIII series will consist of:

  1. Customer satisfaction with hearing aids
  2. Customer satisfaction with hearing health professionals and correlates of satisfaction due to protocols and services
  3. Customer satisfaction with open-fit hearing aids
  4. Sources of noise which most impact satisfaction with hearing aids (essay analysis)
  5. Perceptions of benefit and changes in quality of life
  6. Impact of hearing loss and amplification on job performance, employability, promotions and income.
  7. Safety as a function of demography and hearing loss
  8. Prevalence of tinnitus in America
  9. Perceptions of efficacy of tinnitus treatment techniques including hearing aids
  10. Use of assistive listening devices
  11. Use of inexpensive listening devices in lieu of hearing aid adoption
  12. Factors which would influence hearing-impaired non-adopters to purchase and use hearing aids
  13. Comparison of customer satisfaction in other professions and with products and services including hearing health professionals and hearing aids (non-adopter population only)
  14. Media habits of the hearing-impaired populations (owners and non-adopters).
  15. Reasons for hearing aid returns (essay analysis)

The Better Hearing Institute is grateful to Knowles Electronics (Itasca, IL) for their continued sponsorship of the MarkeTrak research.