Studies from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) show more than 37 million American adults are living with some degree of hearing loss.
Thirty percent of those people older than 70 -- and 16 percent between the ages of 20 and 69 -- are using hearing aids.
To help those with hearing loss better understand how they can benefit from and gain access to hearing aids that could help them, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a public workshop. Titled “Streamlining Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for Hearing Aids,” the workshop will take place on April 21 at the FDA’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.
"The FDA recognizes that hearing aids are an important and often underutilized medical device for those with hearing impairment,” Dr. William Maisel, acting director of the FDA's Office of Device Evaluation, said. “Additional insight from all stakeholders will help us to better understand how we can overcome the barriers to access and spur the development of devices that compensate for impaired hearing.”
The workshop will also provide an opportunity for agency representatives to detail the FDA's Quality Systems Regulation (QSR) and get input from the public that would be helpful in bettering the quality and design of hearing aids and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs).
