NICE (UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence) confirms analogue-to-digital hearing technology shift:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has withdrawn guidance encouraging the NHS to use analogue hearing aids pending the evaluation of digital technology. The move is confirmation of the increasing access to the latter. In July 2000, NICE had recommended that the NHS rely on analogue technology, "[making] full use of the available range of analogue aids", while remaining "more cautious" about their digital successors. The guidance recognised, however, the rapid evolution in hearing-aid technology and proposed waiting for the results of the NHS digital aid pilots, which at that time were being established. The guidance review, due in July 2002, was delayed in order to incorporate their results. NICE has confirmed that they were successful.