Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for programming and modifying hearing assistance devices via low energy digital communications. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of using a hearing assistance device. The method includes providing characteristics and descriptors of the hearing assistance device compatible with a low energy digital communication protocol, the characteristics and descriptors accessible to an external communication device. According to various embodiments, the method also includes accepting individual read/write cycles from an external communication device configured to use the low energy digital communication protocol to read and update the characteristics and descriptors using an abstraction layer. The hearing assistance device is configured to compensate for a wearer's hearing loss based on the updated characteristics and descriptors, in various embodiments.