Disposable digital hearing aid, a test for UK market
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The world's first disposable digital hearing aid, the Songbird Digital, has been launched in the UK. The device, made by Songbird Hearing Inc, of Cranbury, New Jersey, will provide an interesting test for the UK market, given that while providing comparable performance, it costs £26 ($40) per month, compared with a cost of up to £2,500 for a permanent device. Block-contracting by the National Health Service, however, could bring the unit-cost of the latter down to £150 for the almost nine million potential users, if the technology is approved following an ongoing pilot programme.