Apple recently shared important insights it obtained from its Hearing Study to help people better understand hearing health. The company started the study within the Research app which works on the iPhone and the Apple Watch. The process according to the company helps democratize the traditional process of medical research.
The Apple Hearing Study allows iPhone and Apple Watch users to participate in the research pertaining to hearing. It is simple as users will be sharing their data of the technology they use in their lives everyday. Apple has collaborated with the University of Michigan School of Public Health to make possible the hearing study. The data is being shared with the Make Listening Safe initiative started by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO predicts that, by 2050, more than 700 million people will suffer from major hearing loss. March 3 is known as World Hearing Day, calling for more initiatives to help solve the problem of hearing loss.
“Hearing loss can impact a person in many ways, and our goal is to drive increased focus on the importance of hearing health across decision makers and the general population,” said assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, Ren Minghui. “We encourage people to take the appropriate steps to protect their hearing and to seek care when needed.”
“One year into the Apple Hearing Study, we’ve generated significant insights into everyday noise exposures and the impacts of those exposures on hearing among our participants. The national scale of this study is unprecedented. We look forward to sharing new scientific findings, as well as informing policy to improve and promote hearing health, as the study progresses,” said associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Rick Neitzel. “Even during this pandemic, when many people are staying home, we’re still seeing 25 percent of our participants experiencing high environmental sound exposures. The results of this study can improve our understanding of potentially harmful exposures, and help identify ways that people can proactively protect their hearing.”
