New SDU project aims to make hearing care more accessible
With support from the EU, researchers at the Department of Clinical Research are developing a digital platform that will be free to use and share. The goal is to enable people with hearing loss to get support more quickly.
For many people with hearing loss, it can be difficult to figure out whether they need help and where to get it. As a result, hearing loss may go untreated, which can affect both quality of life and participation in daily-life activities.
A new research collaboration led by audiologists from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), together with colleagues from Odense University Hospital and other partners, aims to make it easier to take the first step. The project has received €1.1 million in EU funding and will be developed in collaboration with German partners before being tested in the Region of Southern Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein.
– We want to bridge the gap between self-help and professional care. Many people need a safe and neutral way into hearing healthcare before they’re ready to visit a clinic, says Tobias Neher, Professor and Head of the Technical Audiology Lab at the Department of Clinical Research at SDU.
A digital path to understanding
The solution being developed is a digital platform that can be used at home. Users will be able to complete some simple hearing tests together with tailored questions, and will receive a personal assessment of their needs and potential next steps.
– We’re working to develop a reliable hearing profile based on simple measurements and questionnaires. This will provide a professional basis for deciding how best to proceed, Tobias Neher explains.
The platform is being developed with user involvement throughout the design process and is intended as a supplement to the existing healthcare system – not a replacement for current services.
A contribution to be shared
In addition to helping individual users, the project also aims to support research and development. The solutions will be made freely available, so that both researchers and practitioners can use and further develop them.
– We want what we develop to be beneficial to others, too – both within and beyond the project’s geographical scope, says Tobias Neher.
The project is ready to launch
The project will begin in spring 2026. The research team is currently recruiting PhD students for the sub-projects. The initiative will be interdisciplinary, drawing on expertise in technical and clinical audiology as well as on user perspectives.
About the project
- Project title: OSCAR, short for “Online Service Centre for heAring caRe”
- Project period: March 2026 to February 2029
- Budget: EUR 1.7 million (funded by the EU’s Interreg 6A programme)
- Geographical focus: The Region of Southern Denmark and the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein
- Knowledge sharing: All software and code will be made openly available
- University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
- Odense University Hospital (OUH)
- German Institute of Hearing Aids GmbH
- hear-concept GmbH & Co. KG
- Project management and public relations (SDU)
- Technical implementation of the platform (hear-concept)
- Information services and user involvement (OUH)
- Hearing screening and needs assessment (SDU)
- Audiological recommendations and follow-up (German Institute of Hearing Aids)