Rethinking Hearing Aid Fitting: Integrating Ecological Momentary Assessment into the Hearing Aid Fine-Adjustment Process

Hearing loss affects over 430 million people globally, often leading to reduced quality of life, social isolation and cognitive decline. Hearing aids (HAs) are the main intervention, but adoption remains low due to access and follow-up barriers. Current HA fitting depends on retrospective self-reports, which are prone to recall bias. This study investigates potential benefit of using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) in the fine-adjustment process (FAP). Seven experienced hearing care professionals (HCPs) were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis revealed key challenges in integrating EMA into HA FAP. Concerns centered on usability for older adults, data overload, and reliability. Despite skepticism, HCPs acknowledged EMA’s potential to enhance counseling and patient engagement through structured, real-time data. Design requirements emphasize user-centered interfaces, customizable questionnaires, minimal cognitive load, and flexible interaction modes to ensure clinical feasibility and user adherence. Future research should explore prototype testing, acceptance, and workflow integration also in alternative hearing care settings.