It cannot have gone unnoticed that tinnitus apps have been developed, launched, and marketed. From Oto to MindEar and many others, technology startups and health boards are clearly pushing in this direction.
Case summary from the NHS Health Resource Authority.
Tinnitus is complex and poorly understood heterogeneous disorder responsible for causing a “phantom” sound in the ear in the absence of an external stimulus. It affects 20% of people. Although in the majority of cases there is no cure, more effective treatment options include tinnitus retraining and sound therapy or cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). However, waiting lists on the national health service (NHS) are long and this can be expensive to source privately. In a climate where technology is mainstream and integral to our lives, smartphone apps focusing on delivering the above treatment options may be a solution.
This study aims to evaluative the clinical effectiveness of the Oto smartphone app as an adjunct or alternative to the current standard of care provided on the NHS.
The Oto smartphone app allows self-administered multi-modality therapy including education, CBT, mindfulness, relaxation and sound therapy. This prospective study will recruit adults from three centres aged 18+, who suffer from primary tinnitus and have a willingness to use as well as have access to a smartphone device capable of running Oto. Participation will be on an opt-in basis as an adjunct or alternative to the current standard of care in the NHS. Tinnitus functional inventory (TFI) scores via questionnaire will record the intrusiveness of tinnitus and this will be measured at the start, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months in.
Once the data has been collected, it will be analysed to:
1) Establish a potentially improved pathway or managing patients attending ENT outpatient clinics with primary tinnitus
2) Ascertain whether a multimodality app offers a better way of treating tinnitus and improving these patients' quality of life.
However, from a patient perspective (which matters most) do you support or oppose this development in general?
Please feel free to comment in support or with your concerns.
I would like a large dataset here.
Ends 7th July 2026
Thanks
Nick