Tuned, an online hearing health company, announced the launch of its “clinically validated” audiology platform for hearing care. Tested in pilot programs with Retailbound and Mishe, Tuned is now available to employers and workforces nationally. Patients who book with Tuned can take an advanced online hearing health screening, consult virtually with a credentialed audiologist, and receive ongoing personalized care and support, according to the company.

Nearly 25% of working-age adults and 15% of school-age children experience hearing issues, from ringing in the ears (tinnitus), to balance issues, to auditory processing disorders. Once limited to factory or warehouse workers, hearing fatigue and hearing issues are now presenting in knowledge workers, with many Americans working in remote or hybrid environments that require all-day headphone use.

Hearing loss is twice as prevalent as cancer or diabetes and is one of the most common chronic conditions in the US. Traditional annual health screenings track high blood pressure or cholesterol as potential chronic condition risk factors, yet no equivalent standard of care exists in hearing health. At least 50% of people with untreated hearing loss have never had their hearing professionally checked before age 60, despite 60% of people with hearing loss being under retirement age. Undiagnosed hearing loss can have deleterious impacts on quality of life, including increased anxiety, depression, social isolation, and reduced mental health and cognitive function.

“Hearing is one of the most important ways we communicate with the world, every second of every day. Yet most of us haven’t had an audiology consultation since third grade,” said Danny Aronson, CEO and co-founder of Tuned. “We believe that more is possible in hearing care and hearing health, and that employers have an important role to play in bringing hearing care mainstream as a traditional healthcare benefit.”

Undiagnosed hearing issues cost employers $22,434 per person over a 10-year period, representing a 46% increase in healthcare spend compared to people without hearing loss. Yet hearing care is rarely covered under commercial health insurance plans.

Tuned offers hearing care as a specialty benefit, “helping employers take a preventative, holistic approach to hearing care.”

“As a remote-first company driven by progressive action and the desire to offer the most comprehensive benefits to our team, we knew adding Tuned would give us a competitive edge,” said Yohan Jacob, CEO, Retailbound. “We’re looking forward to rolling Tuned to our entire workforce.”

Tuned serves patients of all ages, including children, by connecting qualified and credentialed audiologists to patients via an easy-to-use clinically validated platform. The Tuned 360 Hearing Profile is “the most advanced hearing screening available online, offering an affordable, convenient, and accessible solution to anyone in the world.” The Tuned platform is independent and brand agnostic; all products are independently vetted by Tuned audiologists, the company says.

At launch, 120 credentialed audiologists are on board, covering all 50 states. Audiologists interested in working with Tuned can visit: https://www.tunedcare.com.

Source: Tuned

Image: Tuned