How are we doing? Thanks to MarkeTrak, we know (2005)

Figure. David: H. KirkwoodIn preparing Sergei Kochkin's latest MarkeTrak article for publication this month, I was reminded of just how valuable this series of surveys has been and remains. For the past 16 years, MarkeTrak has taught the hearing industry most of what we know, collectively, about our customers and their feelings about hearing aids and hearing professionals. MarkeTrak has also shed light on the huge population of unaided hearing-impaired persons who are prospective customers. The success of MarkeTrak has depended upon Dr. Kochkin's expertise in designing the surveys and analyzing the data and the generosity of Knowles Electronics in funding it, even now when it is part of the Better Hearing Institute's program. Don't get me wrong. All of you who treat patients have a good idea of the satisfaction and benefit your patients get from their hearing aids and the services you provide them. At least you do if you consistently use any of the established outcome measures. The more such information you gather, the better prepared you will be to satisfy future clients. However, only MarkeTrak provides a detailed portrait of the entire U.S. hearing aid market. The latest installment, MarkeTrak VII, surveyed over 2200 hearing aid owners and a similar number of hearing-impaired non-users. From 1989 through this year, MarkeTrak has amassed a treasure trove of information of value to anyone involved in hearing healthcare. While individual dispensers can collect useful data from their patients, the MarkeTrak reports add greatly to their knowledge. To cite one example, how many practitioners would have had enough data to prove, as Kochkin reported back in our August 1992 issue, that the ability to help users hear in multiple listening environments is fundamental to achieving high consumer satisfaction rates with hearing aids? MarkeTrak also provides national norms on benefit and satisfaction that dispensers can use to see how their practices stack up. Manufacturers also benefit. What MarkeTrak discovers about why hearing-impaired consumers like or don't like hearing aids and why so many of them won't even try amplification helps companies decide what to focus on in product development and in marketing. Knowledge gained from MarkeTrak is also useful to professional and industry groups and anyone else interested in providing the public with accurate, authoritative information about the benefits of hearing care. Kochkin's articles, including this month's, are a great source of information for individual practitioners to share with patients, prospects, and the communities they serve. THERE'S GOOD NEWS TO REPORT It is especially pleasing when MarkeTrak's findings include good news about hearing aid users and their attitudes toward our industry's products and services. You will be reading the article for yourself, but let me point out a few encouraging MarkeTrak VII findings that deserve to be disseminated far and wide. v Overall customer satisfaction with newer hearing aids (less than 6 years old) is 71%; it is even higher (78%) for hearing aids 1 year old or less. When MarkeTrak began, satisfaction rates ran well under 60%. v Eighty-five percent of consumers are satisfied with the ability of newer hearing aids to help them hear better. v There appears to be a significant preference for digital hearing aids. Those who report that their instruments are digital are significantly more satisfied with them in such important areas as comfort with loud sounds, richness of sound, and use in noisy situations than are the other survey respondents. v Most people whose hearing aids are 5 years or newer report that the instruments improve their quality of life. Specifically, when it comes to such key areas as communicating effectively, social life, ability to join in groups, relationships at home, sense of safety, and self-confidence, half or more say that their hearing aids have helped. I could go on, but you'll want to read Kochkin's report for yourselves. But, before you start, let me add one more bit of good news that those of you who provide clinical care can take pride in. A whopping 92% of consumers say they are satisfied with their hearing healthcare provider!