scholarly journals A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial of the I-PLAN Intervention to Promote Hearing Aid Use Among First-Time Adult Hearing Aid Users

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652096947
Author(s):  
Afzarini H. Ismail ◽  
Kevin J. Munro ◽  
Christopher J. Armitage ◽  
Antonia Marsden ◽  
Piers D. Dawes

Suboptimal hearing aid use negatively impacts health and well-being. The aim of this study was to conduct a controlled trial of a behavior change intervention to promote hearing aid use. This study was a quasi-randomized controlled trial with two arms. A total of 160 first-time hearing aid users were recruited at their hearing aid fitting appointments. The control arm received standard care. In addition to standard care, the intervention arm received I-PLAN, which comprised (a) information about the consequences of hearing aid use/nonuse, (b) reminder prompt to use the hearing aids, and (c) an action plan. The primary outcome, measured at 6 weeks, was self-reported proportion of time the hearing aid was used in situations that caused hearing difficulty. Secondary outcomes were data-logged hearing aid use, self-reported hearing aid benefit, self-regulation, and habit formation. The results showed that the proportion of time the hearing aids were used in situations that caused hearing difficulty was similar in both groups. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in any outcome measure including data-logged hearing aid use. The relatively high levels of hearing aid use across research participants may have limited the potential for the intervention to impact on hearing aid use. Although the intervention materials proved acceptable and deliverable, future intervention trials should target suboptimal hearing aid users.

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Ferguson ◽  
Marian Brandreth ◽  
William Brassington ◽  
Paul Leighton ◽  
Heather Wharrad

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pornthep Kasemsiri ◽  
Kwanchanok Yimtae ◽  
Panida Thanawirattananit ◽  
Pasin Israsena ◽  
Anukool Noymai ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hearing aids are important assistive devices for hearing rehabilitation. However, the cost of commonly available commercial hearing aids is often higher than the average monthly income of individuals in some developing countries. Therefore, there is a great need to locally produce cheaper, but still effective, hearing aids. The Thai-produced P02 hearing aid was designed to meet this requirement. Objective To compare the effectiveness of the P02 hearing aid with two common commercially available digital hearing aids (Clip-II™ and Concerto Basic®). Methods A prospective, randomized controlled trial with a cross-over design was conducted from October 2012 to September 2014 in a rural Thai community. There were 73 participants (mean age of 73.7 ± 7.3 years) included in this study with moderate to severe hearing loss who were assessed for hearing aid performance, including probe microphone real-ear measurement, functional gain, speech discrimination, and participant satisfaction with the overall quality of perceived sound and the design of the device. Results There were no statistically significant differences in functional gain or speech discrimination among the three hearing aids evaluated (p-value > 0.05). Real-ear measurements of the three hearing aids met the target curve in 93% of the participants. The best real-ear measurement of the hearing aid following the target curve was significantly lower than that of Clip-II™ and Concerto Basic® (p-value < 0.05) at high frequency. However, participants rated the overall quality of sound higher for the P02 hearing aid than that of Clip-II™ but lower than that of Concerto Basic® (p-value > 0.05). Participants revealed that the P02 hearing aid provided the highest satisfaction ratings for design and user-friendliness with statistical significance (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion The P02 hearing aid was an effective device for older Thai adults with hearing disabilities. Additionally, its modern design, simplicity of use, and ease of maintenance were attractive to this group of individuals. These benefits support the rehabilitation potential of this hearing aid model and its positive impact on the quality of life of older adults in developing countries. Trial registration This study was registered under Clinicaltrial.govNCT01902914. Date of registration: July 18, 2013.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mie de Wolff ◽  
Marianne Johansen ◽  
Anne Schoedt Ersboell ◽  
Susanne Rosthoej ◽  
Anne Brunsgaard ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and objectives: The number of women of childbearing age with chronic diseases is rising. Evidence has shown that obstetric complications and poor psychological well-being are more prevalent among this group, in addition to these women reporting experiences of less than satisfactory care. More research is needed to investigate how to best meet the special needs of this group during pregnancy and postpartum. Previous research has shown that care coordination, continuity of care, woman-centered care and specialized maternity care interventions delivered to women with high-risk pregnancies can improve patient-reported outcomes, pregnancy outcomes, and be cost-effective. However, no previous trials have examined the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of such interventions among pregnant women with chronic diseases. This paper describes the protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a midwife-coordinated, individualized and specialized maternity care intervention (ChroPreg) as an add-on to standard care for pregnant women with chronic diseases. Methods/design: This two-arm parallel group RCT study will be conducted from October 2018 – June 2020 at the Department of Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Pregnant women with chronic diseases are invited to participate; women will be randomized and allocated 1:1 to the ChroPreg intervention plus standard care or standard care alone. The ChroPreg intervention consists of three main components: 1. Coordinated and individualized care, 2. Additional ante- and postpartum consultations, and 3. Specialized midwives. The primary outcome is length of hospital stay (LOS) during pregnancy and postpartum period and secondary outcomes are: psychological well-being (the five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Cambridge Worry Scale), health-related quality of life (the 12-Item Short Form Survey), patient satisfaction (The Pregnancy and Childbirth Questionnaire), number of antenatal contacts, and pregnancy and delivery outcomes. Data is collected via patient-administered questionnaires and medical records. Discussion: This trial is anticipated to contribute to the field of knowledge on which planning of improved antenatal, intra- and postpartum care for women with chronic disease is founded.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 984-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas D. Myers ◽  
Isaac Prilleltensky ◽  
Ora Prilleltensky ◽  
Adam McMahon ◽  
Samantha Dietz ◽  
...  

Challenges ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Tanja Sobko ◽  
Gavin T. L. Brown

Urbanized children today have fewer opportunities to interact with nature which may lead to a greater risk of mental health problems. The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate which particular changes in connectedness to nature (CN) would improve psychological well-being (PW) in young children. Six hundred and thirty-nine preschoolers (52.0% boys, age 34.9 ± 9.5 months) participated in Play&Grow, an early environmental education intervention. Children’s CN and PW were evaluated by parents before and after the program with validated measures; the CNI-PPC (four factors) and the SDQ, Strength and Difficulties questionnaire (five factors), respectively. The effectiveness of the intervention on the primary outcomes (CN, PW) as well as the relationship between them was analyzed in a repeated measures path model with intervention status as a causal predictor. Specific CN factors consistently increased ProSocial behavior and reduced Hyperactivity and Emotional problems. In summary, this study showed that the previously reported impact shifted from the total CN score to the specific CN factors. The Play&Grow intervention positively increased children’s CN and improved some aspects of psychological well-being in children which is a preliminary evidence of developmental benefits of connecting young children with nature. Our results indicate promising direction of action for the improvement of families’ psychological health.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Blanco ◽  
Juan F. Vargas

AbstractLow take-up of stigma-free social benefits is often blamed on information asymmetries or administrative barriers. There is limited evidence on which of these potential channels is more salient in which contexts. We designed and implemented a randomized controlled trial to assess the extent to which informational barriers are responsible for the prevalent low take-up of government benefits among Colombian conflict-driven internal refugees. We provide timely information on benefits eligibility via SMS to a random half of the displaced household that migrated to Bogotá over a 6-month period. We show that improving information increases benefits’ take-up. However, the effect is small and only true for certain type of benefits. Hence, consistent with previous experimental literature, the availability of timely information explains only part of the low take-up rates and the role of administrative barriers and bureaucratic processes should be tackled to increase the well-being of internal refugees in Colombia.


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