Hey @Um_bongo — just to clarify, this interface is purely for beta testing. It won’t be exposed to real users in this form (other than here in the forum and a few colleagues). Instead, it will serve as the backend for a chatbot that guides users through a decision tree before submitting their needs and desires to the product-matching engine.
The scenario you outlined won’t actually happen. Only users who meet clear OTC criteria (U.S.-based, 18+, mild to moderate hearing loss, no red flags, interest in self-treatment, etc.) would ever see recommendations for products like Sony. Those users won’t be walking into your clinic unless they choose not to follow through with the bot’s recommendation. Or maybe after failing on their own and seeking professional guidance.
Any recommendation will be accompanied by clear disclaimers, especially about limitations in the availability or applicability of data, lab tests, etc. I’ve put a lot of effort into making sure that’s the case and will continue to refine both the data and the messaging (your help is welcome on getting the messaging right).
The goal is not to tell people “this is definitively the best product for you,” but to help beginners take the first step in exploring their options—especially in the OTC space, where there’s a lot of misinformation and low-quality products. Our lab testing is specifically tuned to mild-to-moderate audiograms, which makes us uniquely equipped to help people who are pursing OTC options without professional assistance.
I’d welcome any input on how to present this information more clearly and responsibly. This is just the beginning of the project, and I’m passionate about the potential to help people who are starting from ground zero. I fully understand your concerns and welcome the critique, but I’m committed to seeing this through. Being based in the UK, you may not have seen the scale of misleading marketing and scammy products we’re dealing with in the U.S.—it’s a real problem, and HearAdvisor is the only lab actively trying to bring clarity through independent scientific testing. I’m excited about making our data more accessible to the people who need it most
As we test more customs and in-ears, and begin testing more severe hearing losses, our data will have much more applicability for experienced users, but for the moment, we’re mostly focusing on the OTC market. Having said that, there are still millions of people in the medical market purchasing RICs for mild to moderate hearing loss, and these are people we feel we can help as well.
Anyway, thanks for engaging on this, and again, I welcome your constructive feedback.
and Let me know!!
