EVOTION · Project

Big Data Platform Turns Hearing Aid Usage Into Smarter Public Health Decisions

healthPilotedTRL 7

h2020evotion.eu

Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic conditions, and it leads to much more than just trouble hearing — think social isolation, job loss, even cognitive decline. Right now, doctors prescribe hearing aids, but there's very little data on whether they actually help or how to improve outcomes at a population level. EVOTION built a big data platform that collects real-world hearing aid usage, medical records, environmental noise data, and lifestyle information, then crunches it all to help governments and health agencies make better decisions about hearing care. Think of it like a Fitbit for hearing aids, but instead of just tracking steps, it feeds into a system that helps shape national health policy.

By the numbers

5th

Hearing loss rank as cause of disability worldwide

Organizations providing big datasets for analysis

Consortium partners across the project

Countries represented in the consortium

Total project deliverables produced

TRL-7

Technology readiness level achieved by the integrated platform

The business problem

What needed solving

Hearing loss is the 5th leading cause of disability globally, driving cognitive decline, social isolation, and unemployment. Despite hearing aids being the main treatment, there is almost no systematic data on whether they work well in real life, and health policymakers lack the evidence base to design effective prevention and treatment programs. This means billions in health spending with minimal feedback on what actually helps patients.

The solution

What was built

EVOTION delivered a TRL-7 integrated big data platform that collects real-time hearing aid usage and patient data, analyzes it with advanced analytics, and feeds results into a decision support system for public health policy. Additional tools include policy simulation models (3 versions), a social media campaigning tool for health policy feedback, and comprehensive usage guidelines — 23 deliverables in total.

Audience

Who needs this

Hearing aid manufacturers seeking real-world evidence on device performancePublic health agencies designing hearing care policiesOccupational health providers managing noise-exposed workforcesHealth insurance companies evaluating hearing aid reimbursement effectivenessAudiology clinic chains wanting data-driven patient management

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Hearing aid manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Hearing aid manufacturers and distributors

If you are a hearing aid company struggling to prove the real-world effectiveness of your devices — EVOTION built a TRL-7 platform that collects and analyzes actual usage data from patients across 5 organizations. This gives you hard evidence on how your products perform outside the lab, which devices work best for which patient profiles, and where improvements matter most. That kind of data turns into better products and stronger reimbursement claims.

Public health and government

enterprise

Target: National and regional public health agencies

If you are a public health authority responsible for hearing care policy but lack the data to justify spending — EVOTION developed decision support models and simulation tools validated across 8 countries. The platform analyzes audiological, clinical, and environmental data to identify which interventions actually reduce disability and social exclusion. Instead of guessing at policy, you get evidence-based recommendations from real patient data.

Occupational health services

mid-size

Target: Workplace health and safety consultancies

If you are an occupational health provider dealing with noise-induced hearing damage in workplaces — EVOTION's platform combines environmental noise data with hearing aid usage patterns and clinical outcomes from 5 data-providing organizations. This lets you pinpoint which noise exposure levels cause real harm, track hearing deterioration over time, and recommend targeted interventions before workers end up on disability.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or deploy this platform?

The project data does not include licensing costs or pricing models. EVOTION was a publicly funded research project coordinated by Oticon A/S, a major hearing aid manufacturer. Commercial terms would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium partners who hold the IP.

Can this scale to national or international health systems?

The platform was designed for large-scale deployment and reached TRL-7 (system prototype demonstrated in operational environment). It was validated with data from 5 organizations across 8 countries, suggesting it can handle multi-national datasets. The decision support and simulation components were built specifically for population-level policy analysis.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP is shared among the 14 consortium partners under standard EU Horizon 2020 rules. The coordinator is Oticon A/S (Denmark), a large private hearing aid company. Any licensing would likely involve negotiations with Oticon and the relevant technical partners who built specific components.

Does this comply with health data regulations like GDPR?

The platform was developed during 2016-2020 when GDPR came into force. The deliverables mention SIC-based security control mechanisms built into the final platform version. Based on available project data, specific GDPR compliance documentation would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

How long would integration take with existing health IT systems?

The integrated platform reached TRL-7 with documented usage guidelines. However, integration timelines would depend on your specific IT infrastructure. The platform processes heterogeneous data including audiological, clinical, environmental, and behavioral data, so data mapping would be the main integration effort.

What concrete tools were delivered?

The project delivered 23 total deliverables including an integrated platform at TRL-7, a decision support system with simulation capabilities, public health policy decision-making models (3 versions), and a social media policy campaigning and feedback collection tool for Twitter-based health campaigns.

Is this still actively maintained?

The project closed in January 2020. Active maintenance status would need to be confirmed with Oticon A/S. The platform and models were documented with usage guidelines, which suggests handoff readiness, but ongoing development depends on commercial interest from the consortium partners.

Consortium

Who built it

The 14-partner consortium across 8 countries has a strong balance for commercialization: 5 industry partners (36% ratio) including coordinator Oticon A/S, one of the world's largest hearing aid manufacturers. Having Oticon lead the project significantly increases the chance of commercial uptake since they have direct market access and distribution channels. The 4 university and 4 research partners provided scientific rigor, while 2 SMEs add agility. The geographic spread — Denmark, UK, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Poland, Bulgaria, Switzerland — covers both Western and Eastern European health systems, which means the platform was tested against diverse regulatory and clinical environments.

OTICON A/SCoordinator · DK
ATHENS TECHNOLOGY CENTER ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKI EMPORIKI KAI TECHNIKI ETAIREIA EFARMOGON YPSILIS TECHNOLOGIASparticipant · EL
ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINONparticipant · EL
CITY ST GEORGES UNIVERSITY OF LONDONparticipant · UK
INSTYTUT MEDYCYNY PRACY IMIENIA PROF. DRA MED. JERZEGO NOFERA W LODZIparticipant · PL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANOparticipant · IT
GUYS AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATIONTRUSTparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
IATRIKO ATHINON EMPORIKI ANONYMOS ETAIREIAparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

Oticon A/S (Denmark) — a major hearing aid manufacturer. Contact their R&D or partnerships team for licensing discussions.

Order a report on this consortium See OTICON A/S profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can arrange an introduction to the EVOTION consortium and help you evaluate whether the platform fits your hearing care data needs. We handle the matchmaking so you don't have to cold-call researchers.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical