Decreased Use of Hearing Aids following Training in Hearing Tactics

1998 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 703-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Andersson

In this report data on hearing aid use were combined from three randomized controlled studies on behavioural hearing tactics. Daily average hearing aid use at pretreatment and posttreatment were analysed for 63 older hearing-impaired persons who had either received treatment or acted as controls. Analysis showed a significant, albeit weak, decrease in daily hearing aid use for those subjects who had received the treatment. The utility of amount of hearing aid use as an indicator of rehabilitation success is discussed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mike McDaniel ◽  
Susan D. Motts ◽  
Richard A. Neeley

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the balance of experienced adult hearing aid users with and without their hearing aids via computerized posturography. Method Computerized posturography was accomplished by employing the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) on the NeuroCom Balance Master (Natus Medical Incorporated). The SOT assessed each participant's balance and the strategy used to maintain balance in 6 progressively challenging conditions. Twenty-two adults using bilateral at-the-ear hearing aids participated in the study. All participants completed all SOT protocols with and without their hearing aids. Results No statistically significant differences in participants' balance were identified regardless of the presence or absence of their hearing aids during the SOT. Conclusions These results failed to support previous research, which indicated that amplification of auditory input could benefit balance in individuals with hearing and balance disorders. Further research utilizing randomized controlled trials is needed to resolve the disparity between the current results and those of previous studies.


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.


2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (09) ◽  
pp. 637-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle H. Saunders ◽  
Kathleen M. Cienkowski ◽  
Anna Forsline ◽  
Stephen Fausti

Investigations have shown that patient attitudes toward hearing loss and hearing aids impact self-reported handicap and disability, hearing aid benefit, and hearing aid use. The Attitudes towards Loss of Hearing Questionnaire (ALHQ) was developed by Saunders and Cienkowski (1996) to examine some of the psychosocial factors underlying the use and acquisition of hearing aids. Here we report data from a new version of questionnaire (ALHQ v2.1), which examines attitudes towards hearing loss and hearing aids on five scales: Denial of Hearing Loss, Negative Associations, Negative Coping Strategies, Manual Dexterity and Vision, and Hearing-Related Esteem. Reliability values, internal consistency values, and cut points for typical and atypical scores are provided, along with comparison of the scores of women, men, current hearing aid users, non–hearing aid users, and paying versus nonpaying individuals. The ALHQ takes about ten minutes to complete and identifies for the clinician some of the issues that might jeopardize successful hearing aid outcome.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magda Bucholc ◽  
Sarah Bauermeister ◽  
Daman Kaur ◽  
Paula McClean ◽  
Stephen Todd

Abstract The increasing prevalence of dementia in older adults warrants attention to the identification of practices that can delay or reduce likelihood of progression to early forms of cognitive impairment, in particular, to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which is often considered a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia. In this study, we investigated the effect of hearing impairment and hearing aid usage on cognitive decline and progression to MCI in cognitively healthy individuals. We used data from a large referral-based cohort obtained from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center. The baseline sample included 5721 cognitively normal subjects aged ≥ 40. We found that hearing impairment was associated with increased risk of progression to MCI (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.40, 95%CI, 1.16-1.68, false discovery rate [FDR] P < 0.001) and an accelerated rate of cognitive decline (P < 0.001). Among hearing-impaired participants, hearing aid users were less likely to develop MCI (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.23-0.47; FDR P < 0.001) and experienced slower cognitive decline (P = 0.004) when compared to those not using hearing aids. We found no statistically significant differences in risk of conversion to MCI between individuals with normal hearing and hearing-impaired adults using hearing aids (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.99-1.50; FDR P = 0.08). Our findings highlight the need for a randomized clinical trial that will allow us to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between hearing loss, hearing aid use, and conversion to MCI. Such knowledge could provide new and novel insights into prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia.


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (03) ◽  
pp. 174-191
Author(s):  
Sueli Aparecida Caporali ◽  
Erik Schmidt ◽  
Åsa Eriksson ◽  
Birgitta Sköld ◽  
Barbara Popecki ◽  
...  

Background: In spite of early identification and intervention efforts achieved by Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs, many infants with hearing loss experience delays in early vocabulary development in comparison to peers with normal hearing (Mayne, Yoshinaga-Itano, Sedey, 2000a; Mayne, Yoshinaga-Itano, Sedey, Carey, 2000b; Moeller et al, 2007a, 2007b). One of the several factors that may contribute to individual differences in outcomes is inconsistent hearing aid use in this age group. This may be associated with the physical fit when using traditional behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, since they are relatively large in comparison with the small and soft ear of an infant. Receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aids may be advantageous for use in pediatric fittings, since they are very tiny and lightweight and therefore sit comfortably on a small soft ear. Purpose: To evaluate the use of a RITE hearing aid with an instant ear-tip especially developed for infants in terms of physical fit, stability, safety, and security of the device, as well as the use of retention tools (remedies for keeping the hearing aid securely on the ear) with this age group. Research Design: A longitudinal study with hearing impaired infants fitted with RITE hearing aids was performed. Study Sample: Eighteen infants with mild to moderate/severe hearing loss participated in the study. The age range was 2–36 mo. Sixteen infants had worn hearing aids prior to their participation in the study. Intervention: Each hearing impaired infant was fitted with the RITE hearing aid and an instant ear-tip, the size of which was chosen by the audiologist. The infants used the device for a period of 2–5 mo. Data Collection and Analysis: Audiologists and parents completed questionnaires at every visit (5–7 visits in total). Responses were obtained using a category rating scale (Stevens, 1975) from 0 to 10. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistics. Results: Sixteen of the 18 children completed the study. At the end of the study, 11 of the 16 children were using the instant ear-tip, whereas five children were fitted with the receiver mounted in a custom earmold. The audiologists rated the RITE solution to provide a safe, stable, and secure fit. The general trend was that ratings improved over time. At the final follow-up session, all median ratings were between 8 and 10. Conclusions: Based on the positive results obtained in the study, the use of an appropriately designed RITE hearing aid is recommended for infants.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magda Bucholc ◽  
Paula L. McClean ◽  
Sarah Bauermeister ◽  
Stephen Todd ◽  
Xuemei Ding ◽  
...  

AbstractINTRODUCTIONHearing aid usage has been linked to improvements in cognition, communication, and socialization, but the extent to which it can affect the incidence and progression of dementia is unknown. Such research is vital given the high prevalence of dementia and hearing impairment in older adults, and the fact that both conditions often coexist. In this study, we examined for the first time the effect of the use of hearing aids on the conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia and progression of dementia.METHODSWe used a large referral-based cohort of 2114 hearing-impaired patients obtained from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center. Survival analyses using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model and weighted Cox regression model with censored data were performed to assess the effect of hearing aid use on the risk of conversion from MCI to dementia and risk of death in hearing-impaired participants. Disease progression was assessed with CDR® Dementia Staging Instrument Sum of Boxes (CDRSB) scores. Three types of sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the robustness of the results.RESULTSMCI participants that used hearing aids were at significantly lower risk of developing all-cause dementia compared to those not using hearing aids (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73, 95%CI, 0.61-0.89; false discovery rate [FDR] P=0.004). The mean annual rate of change (standard deviation) in CDRSB scores for hearing aid users with MCI was 1.3 (1.45) points and significantly lower than for individuals not wearing hearing aids with a 1.7 (1.95) point increase in CDRSB per year (P=0.02). No association between hearing aid use and risk of death was observed. Our findings were robust subject to sensitivity analyses.DISCUSSIONAmong hearing-impaired adults, hearing aid use was independently associated with reduced dementia risk. The causality between hearing aid use and incident dementia should be further tested.HighlightsHigh prevalence of dementia and hearing impairment in older adultsHearing aid (HA) use associated with a lower risk of incident dementiaSlower cognitive decline in users than non-users of HA with mild cognitive impairmentThe relationship between hearing impairment and dementia should be further tested


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-428
Author(s):  
Jasleen Singh ◽  
Karen A. Doherty

Purpose The aim of the study was to assess how the use of a mild-gain hearing aid can affect hearing handicap, motivation, and attitudes toward hearing aids for middle-age, normal-hearing adults who do and do not self-report trouble hearing in background noise. Method A total of 20 participants (45–60 years of age) with clinically normal-hearing thresholds (< 25 dB HL) were enrolled in this study. Ten self-reported difficulty hearing in background noise, and 10 did not self-report difficulty hearing in background noise. All participants were fit with mild-gain hearing aids, bilaterally, and were asked to wear them for 2 weeks. Hearing handicap, attitudes toward hearing aids and hearing loss, and motivation to address hearing problems were evaluated before and after participants wore the hearing aids. Participants were also asked if they would consider purchasing a hearing aid before and after 2 weeks of hearing aid use. Results After wearing the hearing aids for 2 weeks, hearing handicap scores decreased for the participants who self-reported difficulty hearing in background noise. No changes in hearing handicap scores were observed for the participants who did not self-report trouble hearing in background noise. The participants who self-reported difficulty hearing in background noise also reported greater personal distress from their hearing problems, were more motivated to address their hearing problems, and had higher levels of hearing handicap compared to the participants who did not self-report trouble hearing in background noise. Only 20% (2/10) of the participants who self-reported trouble hearing in background noise reported that they would consider purchasing a hearing aid after 2 weeks of hearing aid use. Conclusions The use of mild-gain hearing aids has the potential to reduce hearing handicap for normal-hearing, middle-age adults who self-report difficulty hearing in background noise. However, this may not be the most appropriate treatment option for their current hearing problems given that only 20% of these participants would consider purchasing a hearing aid after wearing hearing aids for 2 weeks.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 883-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha J. Gustafson ◽  
Todd A. Ricketts ◽  
Anne Marie Tharpe

Background: Consistency of hearing aid and remote microphone system use declines as school-age children with hearing loss age. One indicator of hearing aid use time is data logging, another is parent report. Recent data suggest that parents overestimate their children’s hearing aid use time relative to data logging. The potential reasons for this disparity remain unclear. Because school-age children spend the majority of their day away from their parents and with their teachers, reports from teachers might serve as a valuable and additional tool for estimating hearing aid use time and management. Purpose: This study expands previous research on factors influencing hearing aid use time in school-age children using data logging records. Discrepancies between data logging records and parent reports were explored using custom surveys designed for parents and teachers. Responses from parents and teachers were used to examine hearing aid use, remote microphone system use, and hearing aid management in school-age children. Study Sample: Thirteen children with mild-to-moderate hearing loss between the ages of 7 and 10 yr and their parents participated in this study. Teachers of ten of these children also participated. Data Collection and Analysis: Parents and teachers of children completed written surveys about each child’s hearing aid use, remote microphone system use, and hearing aid management skills. Data logs were read from hearing aids using manufacturer’s software. Multiple linear regression analysis and an intraclass correlation coefficient were used to examine factors influencing hearing aid use time and parent agreement with data logs. Parent report of hearing aid use time was compared across various activities and school and nonschool days. Survey responses from parents and teachers were compared to explore areas requiring potential improvement in audiological counseling. Results: Average daily hearing aid use time was ˜6 hr per day as recorded with data logging technology. Children exhibiting greater degrees of hearing loss and those with poorer vocabulary were more likely to use hearing aids consistently than children with less hearing loss and better vocabulary. Parents overestimated hearing aid use by ˜1 hr per day relative to data logging records. Parent-reported use of hearing aids varied across activities but not across school and nonschool days. Overall, parents and teachers showed excellent agreement on hearing aid and remote microphone system use during school instruction but poor agreement when asked about the child’s ability to manage their hearing devices independently. Conclusions: Parental reports of hearing aid use in young school-age children are largely consistent with data logging records and with teacher reports of hearing aid use in the classroom. Audiologists might find teacher reports helpful in learning more about children’s hearing aid management and remote microphone system use during their time at school. This supplementary information can serve as an additional counseling tool to facilitate discussion about remote microphone system use and hearing aid management in school-age children with hearing loss.


1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 923-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry E. Humes ◽  
Dan Halling ◽  
Maureen Coughlin

Twenty elderly persons with hearing impairment were fit with binaural in-the-ear hearing aids and followed for a 6-month period post-fit. Several hearing-aid outcome measures were obtained at 0, 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days post-fit. Outcome measures included (a) objective measures of benefit obtained with nonsense-syllable materials in quiet (CUNY Nonsense Syllable Test, NST) and sentences in multitalker babble (Hearing in Noise Test, HINT); (b) two subjective measures of benefit, one derived from pre-fit/post-fit comparisons on a general scale of hearing handicap (Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly, HHIE) and the other based on a subjective scale of post-fit hearing-aid benefit (Hearing Aid Performance Inventory, HAPI); (c) a questionnaire on hearing-aid satisfaction; (d) an objective measure of hearing-aid use; and (e) a subjective measure of hearing-aid use. Reliability and stability of each measure were examined through repeated-measures analyses of variance, a series of test-retest correlations, and, where possible, scatterplots of the scores against their corresponding 95% critical differences. Many of the measures were found to be both reliable and stable indicators of hearing-aid outcome.


2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Vestergaard Knudsen ◽  
Marie Öberg ◽  
Claus Nielsen ◽  
Graham Naylor ◽  
Sophia E. Kramer

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