Can you get legitimate medical care online? Well, it depends on the type of care you need.
This year has seen an upsurge in online healthcare, and now, many of us are wondering just how much of our medical needs can be taken care of virtually.
For example, if you can skip a visit to the optometrist by buying standard reading glasses online, can you skip a visit to the audiologist and get hearing aids online that will meet your needs?
We took a look at Lively, a company that allows you to buy hearing aids online without the need to drive to a doctor’s office, to see if their online test can help you order personalized hearing aids.
Healthcare going virtual
At one point, picking up a pair of over-the-counter glasses so you could comfortably read a book seemed outlandish. Now, when things get blurry, many aging individuals who have no other vision problems simply visit a local pharmacy or go online to pick out a pair of reading glasses. That practice has become the norm.
The same thing is happening with braces. You can take a mold of your teeth and order a set of progressive aligners to straighten your bite without ever stepping into an orthodontist’s office.
Next on the list is hearing aids. With Lively’s approach, it’s possible for certain individuals with hearing loss to be able to hear more clearly at a lower cost. However, these aren’t exactly over-the-counter aids; while you can get them online, they’re FDA-approved and produced by a leading international hearing aid manufacturer called Resound.
Lively is still a fairly new company. The official launch was Jan. 23, 2019, and hearing aids for purchase online certainly haven’t been around as long as reading glasses or even braces — but the convenience is certainly appealing.
What are Lively hearing aids?
Lively hearing aids are behind-the-ear hearing aids that are designed to work for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss.
They can be controlled with Lively’s app, which is available for both Apple and Android smart devices. The app pairs your smart device with the hearing aids via Bluetooth so you can either manually fine-tune the individual settings or select a convenient environmental program such as office environment, restaurant, or another typical situation.
They can also be used to stream music, listen to audio, and make calls from your smartphone. Lively hearing aids feature directional microphones, which are meant to help the wearer focus on speech even when they are in noisy environments. They can employ noise-blocking technology to help reduce the distraction caused by tinnitus.
These hearing aids are tuned to the individual based on an at-home online hearing test, created by on-staff audiologists, that claims to measure the same frequencies that are tested in an audiologist’s office. There is room for error, as with any at-home evaluation that doesn’t involve in-person care from a medical professional, but Lively recommends an in-person ear evaluation for anyone who reports anything concerning like sudden hearing loss or ear pain during their online evaluation. This means that if you have mild to moderate hearing loss with no complications, Lively should be able to create personalized hearing aids that improve your hearing.
Our tester reported that their hearing was improved when wearing Lively’s hearing aids compared to not. Lively will only work for those with mild to moderate hearing loss.
How does the online hearing test work?
The hearing assessment that Lively employs is a simple test that targets four specific tones at a variety of volumes. The test needs to be performed in a quiet, isolated space, such as your bedroom. All you need is a smartphone, a tablet, or a computer that can connect to the internet and a pair of functioning headphones. According to Lively, neither the style nor the quality of the headphones will affect the outcome of the test.
The specific frequencies and volume that Lively tests are ones that all fall within the range of human speech. If you have any difficulty passing this hearing test, chances are that you also have difficulty understanding the dialogue in a movie or you have trouble following a conversation in a noisy environment. One of Lively’s audiologists reviews your test results, outlines them for you, and explains the impact your impairment could have on understanding speech.
It is important to point out that the online test is limited and does not include bone conduction, middle ear muscle reflex, tympanometry, or other tests that you might receive during an in-person ear exam. However, if the Lively audiologist detects any red flags in your test results, the company may suggest an alternative course of action.
What does the audiologist do with my test results?
The Lively audiologist will explain if and how a hearing aid could benefit you. They will then create an individualized hearing profile that will be used to program and personalize your Lively hearing aid. However, as mentioned before, this virtual hearing test is not as accurate or extensive as an in-person test, so there is room for error.
How much do Lively hearing aids cost?
The Lively Bundle is $2,400, whereas prescription hearing aids can cost as much as $6,000 or more for a single device.
This bundle is available with a 100-day money-back guarantee, and it includes two hearing aids with rechargeable batteries (30 hours with three hours of charge), a case, the app, three years of follow-up care with a Lively audiologist, a limited three-year warranty, and three years of loss and damage protection (with a $195 deductible that can only be used once). Alternatively, if you’d like to save some money upfront, the non-rechargeable model comes with a year’s supply of batteries and costs $1,850, and you will have to purchase new batteries after the first year.
Our tester was concerned about the time limit on follow-up care with a Lively audiologist, as hearing loss is a lifelong issue. Those three years of care are all-inclusive, giving users access to personal consultations via Zoom, during which an audiologist can make any needed tweaks to the hearing aids via the cloud. Because Lively cuts costs by being fully virtual, users have access to as many online audiology appointments as they need to schedule — but only for three years. If you need more care after 3 years, Lively will discuss options with their clients. They also suggest that you may want to purchase new hearing aids every 3 years anyways given typical advancements in technology and sound processing that happen over time.
Note: Insurance coverage for hearing aids can be very limited and vary greatly from plan to plan. It is always best to check with your carrier to see if you may be entitled to any reimbursement.
Lively hearing aid pros
Lively hearing aids currently offer the best value on the market for premium hearing aids and audiology care. The process can be done completely in the comfort of your own home. The quality of the Lively product and the level of the service that is offered are available at roughly 50% below the average costs.
Lively hearing aid cons
The online nature of Lively’s hearing test does leave some room for user error when personalizing the devices. However with ongoing access to their networks of audiologists they have the ability to tweak the hearing aids remotely until hearing outcomes are maximized.
Lively may not be the best solution for patients with lower tech-savviness as you need to be comfortable pairing your aids to your smartphone, downloading the Lively app, and Zoom calls with your doctor.
Bottom line
Lively’s hearing aids are a convenient and affordable option for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. While their hearing test is less extensive than one traditionally administered in a clinic, their remote adjustments from licensed audiologists allow them to achieve similar hearing outcomes. This business model reduces the costs associated with maintaining brick-and-mortar clinic locations then passes that cost savings along to the customer.
Allen Foster is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money. BestReviews never accepts free products from manufacturers and purchases every product it reviews with its own funds.
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