The use rate of hearing aids in China is much lower than that of developed countries.
Economic Daily - China Economic Net March 1 (Reporter Zhu Guowang) China has the most hearing-impaired people in the world, but the use rate of hearing aids is far lower than that of developed countries in Europe and America, giving these hearing-impaired people correct guidance, standardized intervention and rehabilitation The work is still relatively weak. Dr. Wang Shuo from the Applied Basic Department of the Beijing Institute of Otorhinolaryngology recently said that hearing aids are the main means to improve hearing impairment. The acceptance and satisfaction of hearing-impaired patients in China are lower than those in developed countries. She recommends hearing-impaired people as early as possible. Wear, "The earlier the intervention, the better the auditory conduction pathway function is retained, and the better the hearing aid effect."
According to the second national sample survey on disability in 2006, the number of disabled hearing-impaired people in China reached 27.8 million. With the growing number of elderly people in China, there are more and more people with hearing disabilities.
Dr. Wang Shuo pointed out that senile hearing loss can affect both mental health and cognitive impairment of the elderly. Old age is associated with depression, loneliness, weakness, and cognitive dysfunction. Recent studies abroad have found that hearing loss is highly correlated with cognitive deterioration in the elderly. The risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher in the elderly with hearing loss than in the elderly without hearing loss. In addition, children's hearing loss can cause late language development disorders, affecting learning, work, and psychological and social emotional development. Therefore, regardless of the children or the elderly, the principle of rehabilitation of hearing impairment is as early as possible, emphasizing the "three early" principle of early detection, early diagnosis and early intervention.
Hearing aids are the most commonly used rehabilitation equipment for hearing loss people. Wang Shuo found through research that the use of hearing aids can effectively improve the speech recognition ability of hearing loss people. The lighter the hearing loss, the better the speech recognition ability after wearing hearing aids. However, patients with mild hearing loss have a lower willingness to choose a hearing aid, which may be due to the general perception that their hearing loss does not have a more severe impact on their daily lives. In addition, many hearing lossrs hope that the hearing aid can restore his hearing to the same level as before. "This expectation is unrealistic." Dr. Wang Shuo stressed that people with hearing impairment should establish reasonable expectations for hearing aids.
The huge listening market has also attracted the attention of the global hearing giants. Not long ago, Phonak, a subsidiary of the Swiss Sonova Group, the world's most extensive provider of hearing solutions, launched a new hearing aid called "Oddi." in China.
As the world's largest hearing giant, Sonova's global hearing aid sales and market share, Europe accounted for more than half, the US market accounted for about 30%, and the largest number of Asia-Pacific markets, including China, currently only 10% .
“The market demand for Chinese boosters has not been fully met, and it is a huge market that has yet to be tapped.” Mr. Zhang Wei, the managing director of the group in China, was interviewed by the China Economic Net. Strong interest. Mr. Zhang Wei has been the Managing Director of Sonova China since last year and is fully responsible for the various businesses of Sonova China. He has held important leadership positions in multinational medical device companies and has extensive experience. According to Mr. Zhang Wei, in some mature markets, when people experience hearing loss, they will seek solutions at a very early stage, such as wearing hearing aids, which is very effective for improving hearing and stimulating the auditory nerve. At present, in China, there are still gaps in people's perceptions of hearing impairment and hearing technology for various reasons. For example, some elderly people suffer from hearing impairment, and they do not wait for a very serious degree and will not find a solution. Many elderly people who try to wear hearing aids are persuaded by their children to understand the advantages of hearing technology. On the one hand, the cultivation of the market needs to be further improved, and the awareness of receiving medical services needs to be improved.
“The Sonova Group is currently the world's most extensive provider of hearing solutions, covering all industries in the field of hearing and health care. This time, Phonak launched the world's first bina Bluetooth Direct Connect Android Android. New Apple hearing aids for iPhones and smartphones. Hearing impaired people don't have to let go of their hands, just like using a wireless Bluetooth headset, even if the phone is far away from the hearing aid, the call will remain clear and smooth. Whether it's mobile music, WeChat voice, video call, and even SMS alert tone can support binaural wireless transmission, which greatly facilitates the daily life of the hearing impaired." Mr. Zhang Wei said. “In the future, we will continue to develop and launch more remote solutions for the hearing impaired and hearing professionals, such as hearing self-test, remote fitting, remote support, etc., to open a new smart life for the hearing impaired in China.”
“Chinese hearing-impaired users have higher and higher requirements for hearing aids, which poses a higher challenge to the innovation ability of the hearing industry.” Dr. Wang Shuo said that the barrier-free connection with smart devices is the development of hearing aid equipment. One of the trends. Convenient and easy to use smartphones, watch TV shows, travel, and innovative listening technology to create a barrier-free living environment for the hearing impaired, while greatly improving their quality of life.