Hearing aid use changing life in a meaningful way

The qualitative data uploaded was collected from an online survey, utilizing convenience sampling through the Hearing Tracker (www.hearingtracker.com) and Lexie Hearing (www.lexiehearing.com) databases. The dataset includes responses to the open-ended question: "Have hearing aids changed your life in a meaningful way? Why or why not? We would really like to know" along with demographic details (age, gender, race, type of hearing aid fitting, type of hearing aid, duration of daily use, and place of purchase of hearing aid). Two main domains were identified: meaningful benefits and remaining difficulties. The meaningful benefits domain encompasses five categories (27 sub-categories), including psychosocial and personal benefits, hearing improvements, hearing aid features, and situational advantages such as enhanced relationships and occupational functioning. The remaining difficulties domain is composed of four categories (25 sub-categories), highlighting issues like hearing aid limitations, communication challenges, situational difficulties, and personal concerns.

Demographic data was de-identified, coded in Microsoft Excel (2019), and analyzed using SPSS version 28 for descriptive statistical measures. A total of 653 responses were analyzed through qualitative, inductive content analysis to interpret individual opinions, perspectives, and attitudes. Coding was manually performed by the primary researcher, with cross-validation by co-authors, ensuring data integrity. No subgroup analyses were conducted, focusing on understanding the cohort as a whole. The data offers insights into how hearing aids impact individuals, highlighting both benefits and ongoing challenges.