Paul Surridge, Chairman of the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA), outlines the challenges faced over the last year and looks ahead to a brighter future.

After years of steady growth in hearing aid sales, the negative pandemic impact of 2020 has been put into figures by the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA). The total of 14.12m unit solds is bad news, but the figure is only slightly below 2016 sales.

The publication in 2020 of the first international consensus on the provision of cochlear implants (CI) in adults was hailed as a landmark event. Audio Infos interviews one of the authors of these consensus statements, Prof. Robert Lenarz.

The British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) interviewed one of its members, Maarten Barmentlo, Chief Marketing Officer at WS Audiology, on how the company’s Signia brand is tackling the issue of stigma in our industry.

The Covid necessity of staging virtual rather than in-person conferences has revealed the wider international reach of the online format. This is certainly how UK charity, the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) sees it.

Hailed as the movie that has most highlighted the trauma of sudden hearing loss, Sound of Metal has drawn reactions within the audiology community ranging from wholehearted applause to regret at “missed opportunities” and a negative attitude towards hearing restoration.

Darius Marder’s double Oscar-winning movie, Sound of Metal, has chimed from sweetly to jarringly in the audiology community. In this exclusive interview, the director throws light on the complex blend of story, character portrayal, and audiological realities in this must-see film.