Real-World Evidence for Adjuvant Conversational AI and Structured Digital Journeys in Audiology: Reducing Clinical Burden and Enhancing Self-Efficacy

Background: Prescriptive hearing aid acclimatization is frequently hindered by post-fitting technical friction, physical discomfort, and fatigue outside clinical hours, leading to device abandonment. This study evaluates the real-world clinical outcomes of a mobile health platform deployed across two international networks. The system introduces the industry’s first regulated conversational AI chatbot for contextual, on-demand patient support, troubleshooting, and comprehensive information about hearing and hearing aids, integrated with a structured "Hearing Journey" mobile curriculum designed to systematically boost patient self-efficacy and facilitate behavioral adaptation.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 720 prescription hearing aid users. The platform’s efficacy was measured using continuous engagement metrics and a structured survey of audiologists assessing Net Promoter Score (NPS), workflow integration, and clinical value. A core analytical focus was the platform`s capacity to support the transition from passive technology reception to active, autonomous digital self-management.

Results: Patients completed an average of 5.0–6.7 guided lessons and achieved a 20–22% average journey progression. Crucially, the combination of conversational AI and structured digital curricula empowered 25% of patients to independently resolve technical and handling issues, effectively offloading routine clinical tasks. Clinicians reported high professional satisfaction (NPS 9.0/10), highlighting the platform`s role in addressing the emotional and cognitive aspects of adaptation and its seamless integration into existing clinical workflows (4.42/5).

Conclusion: Integrating prescriptive device fitting with an automated, interactive behavioral layer fosters patient self-efficacy and enables comprehensive digital self-management. By addressing the psychological, behavioral, and psycho-educational challenges of hearing loss, this dual-support paradigm significantly reduces the clinical burden and validates a scalable, holistic approach to the standard of care in audiological rehabilitation.