Adult Hearing Aid Users’ Perspectives on Outcome Expectations and Perceived Value for Money: A Qualitative Study Using the Health Belief Model

Background: Hearing aids are the primary intervention for hearing loss, yet disparities in use persist, impacting user experiences. Limited research has examined how expectations and perceived value for money influence these experiences, particularly through theoretical models such as the Health Belief Model (HBM). Purpose: This study explored how outcome expectations and perceived value for money shape adult hearing aid users experiences, framed within the HBM. Research Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used with semistructured interviews and content analysis. Study Sample: Thirty-five adult hearing aid users (new and experienced; mean age 67.2 years) were recruited from the Hearing Tracker website. Results: The expectations domain included three categories with 12 subcategories reflecting fulfilled and unfulfilled experiences, while the perceived value for money domain comprised five categories with 10 subcategories capturing both contributors and limiters. Participants described perceived benefits including improved hearing, greater environmental awareness, and device customization as important contributors to fulfilled expectations and greater perceived value for money. Self-efficacy was evident among users with realistic expectations, who described confidence in their ability to manage hearing aids and reported that expectations were met. In contrast, perceived barriers such as device limitations, background noise, and physical fit challenges were described in accounts of unfulfilled expectations and reduced hearing aid use. Affordability also reflected perceived barriers, with some participants describing hearing aids as a worthwhile investment, whereas others described financial burden because of high costs and limited insurance coverage. Conclusions: Framed by the HBM, perceived benefits and self-efficacy align with fulfilled expectations and higher perceived value for money, whereas performance, fit, and financial barriers undermine them. Focused expectation management, skills training, and affordability strategies can improve outcomes and sustained use. Clinical Relevance Statement: Integrate counseling-based intervention aligned with HBM constructs during prefitting care to set accurate expectations, build self-efficacy for device management, and address performance and affordability barriers. Tailored counseling and financing support could enhance positive experiences and long-term use.