MarkeTrak을 기반으로 한 미국의 보청기 만족도 및 시장동향 고찰

The Review of Hearing Aid Satisfaction and Market Trends in the USA Based on MarkeTrak

Although there are researches for hearing aid (HA) satisfaction and market trends in USA, MarkeTrak (MT) and Europe, EuroTrak (ET), such could not be found in Korea with increasing demands of HAs. The purpose of this investigation was to establish a systematic base of Korean HA research reviewing MT, which is a good example of HA market trends and satisfaction analysis. Classifying 4 themes, HA features, HA utilities, psycho-social factors, financial factors, MT issues were from 1984 to 2015. The contents included specifically analyzed the main themes, the major considerations for the current HA market, and the factors improving HA satisfaction rates. According to a survey, HA adoption rate has grown by 6.4% in the USA over 30 years while HA satisfaction rate has increased by 21.4%. The reason for the low adoption rate was reported that the primary motivation to purchase HA was the deterioration of hearing of the individual consumer. The increased satisfaction rate was attributed to the advanced technology that resolved the discomfort factors such as background noise and cosmetic concerning. In addition, the distributing agency of HAs was changed from general dispensers to the audiologists who were professionally educated. MT has put a great impact on investigating HA market in the USA. As Korean HA markets are increasing, it is necessary for the development of KoreaTrak (as the assumed name) such as MT or ET.