Smartphones and Hearing Loss: There's an App for That!

Abstract

Smartphone use has become increasingly prevalent and patients are frequently using this technology to engage in health-related activities. There are a variety of smartphone applications that can be used to assist individuals with hearing loss, particularly during extreme situations such as a global pandemic which results in restricted face-to-face interactions. The hearing-related applications can be divided into four categories: (1) screening and assessment, (2) intervention and rehabilitation, (3) education and information, and (4) assistive tools. Several subcategories of applications in the assistive tools category are described that may be of interest to individuals with hearing loss, whether they wear hearing aids or not. Examples of the apps along with links are included for each subcategory.