Social Media Communities for Hearing Aids
The Internet has become a widely accepted alternative social environment. Social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are serving increasingly important roles in influencing the healthcare industry. You may love using Facebook for fun and friends but there are probably still lots of functions you have never tried, or don’t even know exist. If you are losing your hearing, or are already wearing a hearing aid then there are social media sites for the hearing aid community too. Peer-to-peer health care supports compiling and disseminating information, providing opportunities for fact finding and discussion of experiences, as well as offering feedback and support.
Hearing Care Search
The Pew Internet and the American Life Project reported that in the United States, 61% of adults access the Internet for health and medical information. Website development agencies in the US reported that 41% of the population agreed that social media affected their choice of specific doctors, hospitals, or medical facilities. A recent study in the American Journal of Audiology, 2017, found five hundred fifty-seven social media sources were identified, including 172 YouTube videos, 20 Facebook groups, and 29 forums. Twitter and YouTube platforms showed the highest level of activity among social media users. The Hearing Aid community also uses social media sources for advice, support, and to share information on a variety of Hearing Aid related issues such as the cochlear implant community.
Good Information
All this shows that people with hearing loss and their loved ones are increasingly relying on social media to receive health care information and to share personal experiences and opinions on health concerns. The vast amount of health information available on the Internet for consumer health education may have the potential for improving your healthcare but it is essential that you verify all information that you read on social media, not just information about hearing loss. The best way to do this is to ask a professional audiologist like our consultants at Clarisound.
Your Hearing Care Solution
The Internet allows you to communicate freely without revealing your hearing status. This can be empowering and give you confidence if you are losing your hearing. So if you, or your loved ones, are hesitating about finding solutions for your hearing loss then social media is a good way to get started, without fear. There are different categories of hearing care posts derived on social media; personal stories, advice and support, information sharing, then there are service providers, like Clarisound. Reading a personal story about someone with hearing loss describing personal experiences can be comforting and informative. Finding a good service provider for your hearing aids, like Clarisound, can also be made easier.
