Auditory Profile-Based Hearing Aid Fitting: Self-Reported Benefit for First-Time Hearing Aid Users

Background: Although hearing aids (HAs) can compensate for reduced audibility, functional outcomes and benefits vary widely across individuals. As part of the Danish ‘Better hEAring Rehabilitation’ (BEAR) project, four distinct auditory profiles differing in terms of audiometric thresholds and supra...

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Published in:Audiology research (Pavia, Italy) Italy), 2024-02, Vol.14 (1), p.183-195
Main Authors: Cañete, Oscar M., Loquet, Gérard, Sánchez-López, Raul, Hougaard, Dan Dupont, Schnack-Petersen, Rikke, Gaihede, Michael, Schmidt, Jesper H., Hammershøi, Dorte, Neher, Tobias
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Audiometry
Clinical medicine
Hearing aids
Hearing loss
IOI-HA
Listening
Perceptions
Performance evaluation
Questionnaires
Rehabilitation
Self report
Signal processing
Sound
Speech
SSQ12
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Summary:Background: Although hearing aids (HAs) can compensate for reduced audibility, functional outcomes and benefits vary widely across individuals. As part of the Danish ‘Better hEAring Rehabilitation’ (BEAR) project, four distinct auditory profiles differing in terms of audiometric thresholds and supra-threshold hearing abilities were recently identified. Additionally, profile-specific HA-fitting strategies were proposed. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the self-reported benefit of these profile-based HA fittings in a group of new HA users. Methods: A total of 205 hearing-impaired older adults were recruited from two Danish university hospitals. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups: (1) NAL-NL2 gain prescription combined with default advanced feature settings (‘reference fitting’) or (2) auditory profile-based fitting with tailored gain prescription and advanced feature settings (‘BEAR fitting’). Two months after treatment, the participants completed the benefit version of the short form of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12-B) and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) questionnaire. Results: Overall, participants reported a clear benefit from HA treatment. However, no significant differences in the SSQ12-B or IOI-HA scores between the reference and BEAR fittings were found. Conclusion: First-time users experience clear benefits from HA treatment. Auditory profile-based HA fitting warrants further investigation.
ISSN:2039-4349
2039-4349
DOI:10.3390/audiolres14010017