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Bogus Hearing Aid Clinical Trials Consumers Beware
While the vast majority of hearing healthcare providers (i.e. audiologist and hearing aid dispensers) are only interested in ethically providing the best care to patients, some providers rely on and utilize gimmicks and untruths with the only motive of selling hearing aids. While many gimmicks have been utilized to get patients to purchase hearing aids, the most recent “bait-and-switch” is under the disguise of a “clinical trial.”
Clinical trials and research studies are extremely valuable to all of us in that they bring about knowledge, better medical technology and treatment options. To perform clinical trials and studies, researchers often need patients to volunteer for the research. For many reasons including safety, accuracy of data, and the protection of patients who enroll in them, clinical trials are closely regulated by governmental agencies.
If you look at most websites regarding medicinal treatments today, youll probably come across statements like “our clinical trials” or “our clinical analysis” and other similar comments. Ninety-nine percent of the time, these statements are quite simply, stretching the facts. The reason for this is simple; clinical trials involve years of collecting data, running tests, exhaustive analysis of the products, and lots of money invested. Its not something that can be done overnight or even within the space of a few weeks or months.
Collecting clinical data needs meticulous analysis of information, from a large number of people. Quite frankly, a true clinical trial is a daunting, expensive, and time-consuming project; one of which few can undertake. Making reference to “clinical trials” in a hearing aid advertisement makes an implication about the conclusions on the products. However, mentioning “our clinical trails” does sound good.
If the protocols for a trial or study have been reviewed and approved by the review boards that govern them, they will have a clinical trial identification number. The announcement for the trial or study will give you enough information to know if you might be interested. You want to be careful to whom you give personal and medical information. If you are considering participating in a clinical trial or study, here are some points of information that you should have and understand
Who are the researchers?
What are the qualifications of the researchers to be conducting the trial or study?
What is going to be done with the information gathered and/or the data from the trial results?
Who is funding the trial or study?
What is the clinical trial identification number?
Bottom line, you should treat references to hearing aid “clinical trials/studies” with a big pinch of salt because sometimes a provider is simply trying to blind you with science or worst case, deliberately mislead you.
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