Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2004-12-17

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0309092965

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Millions of Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. The Social Security Administration (SSA) operates programs that provide cash disability benefits to people with permanent impairments like hearing loss, if they can show that their impairments meet stringent SSA criteria and their earnings are below an SSA threshold. The National Research Council convened an expert committee at the request of the SSA to study the issues related to disability determination for people with hearing loss. This volume is the product of that study. Hearing Loss: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits reviews current knowledge about hearing loss and its measurement and treatment, and provides an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and criteria. It recommends changes to strengthen the disability determination process and ensure its reliability and fairness. The book addresses criteria for selection of pure tone and speech tests, guidelines for test administration, testing of hearing in noise, special issues related to testing children, and the difficulty of predicting work capacity from clinical hearing test results. It should be useful to audiologists, otolaryngologists, disability advocates, and others who are concerned with people who have hearing loss.

Hearing Aid Outcomes Using Generic and Disease Specific Questionnaires
Hearing Aid Outcomes Using Generic and Disease Specific Questionnaires

Author: Ayas Muhammed

Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing

Published: 2012-08

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13: 9783659186523

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Present study focused on evaluating the self reported outcome in hearing impaired adults using a generic and disease specific questionnaire in order to directly probe in to the hearing aid user's problems. The main objective of the study was to assess the hearing related changes and QOL change in persons with hearing impairment after the use of hearing aid for 2 months.Hearing aid is a well accepted device in the aural rehabilitation of the hearing impaired individuals. The need for self reported outcome measures for the hearing aid users is to quantify the hearing aid related benefit and overall improvement in quality of life. It can be clinically implied to use the self reported measure in routine clinical settings to help the clinician in selecting appropriate amplification, monitoring QOL, client satisfaction and thus improving the patient - clinician relationship. Further, it can provide a scientifically defensible way to measure the real-life success of the hearing aid fitting program, satisfaction

The Relationship Between Acceptable Noise Levels and Hearing Aid Success Measured Using a Multi-Dimensional Approach
The Relationship Between Acceptable Noise Levels and Hearing Aid Success Measured Using a Multi-Dimensional Approach

Author: Kathryn Shaughnessy Schwartz

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The ability to predict hearing aid success prior to purchase is desired by the hearing healthcare community and consumers. Poor success with hearing aids can occur for several reasons, but the primary reason is difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. The acceptable noise level (ANL) test measures a person's acceptance of background noise and has been proposed to predict hearing aid success. However, little research has been done to substantiate the claim that ANL scores are predictive of hearing aid success. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between ANL scores and hearing aid success, when hearing aid success was defined using a multi-dimensional approach.No universal description of hearing aid success has been published, but extensive literature reviews find a variety of hearing aid outcome dimensions that contribute to hearing aid success. The definition of hearing aid success for this study was composed of seven outcome domains: change in quality of life, satisfaction, subjective speech perception benefit, hearing aid use, remaining hearing problems following amplification, aversiveness to loud sounds, and objective speech perception benefit. Fifty experienced hearing aid users completed five self-report measures and two speech perception in noise tests. Seven outcome domains were obtained from these measures. In order to create a more parsimonious picture of the hearing outcomes, a principal components analysis was conducted using the seven outcome domains. Three components were identified: hearing aid benefit, remaining hearing problems, and negative reactions to loud sounds. The relationship between ANL scores and the seven outcome domains as well as the relationship between ANL scores and the three principal components of hearing aid success were explored. Results indicated that ANL scores were not associated with the seven outcome domains or the three outcome components.This research did not find a noteworthy relationship between ANL scores and any outcome domain of hearing aid success. Although the ANL test may prove to be useful for other applications, the results of the current study suggest that the ANL test is not an accurate predictor of hearing aid success by any measure.

Use of the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement as a Clinical Outcome Measure in the Veterans Affairs National Hearing Aid Program
Use of the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement as a Clinical Outcome Measure in the Veterans Affairs National Hearing Aid Program

Author: Robert F. Zelski

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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ABSTRACT: In the present health care environment, there is an increased demand for audiologists to measure the outcomes of hearing aid intervention. In addition to the more traditional objective outcome measures, many subjective outcome measures have been developed in the last 20 years. Two such subjective outcome measures are the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE). These instruments consist of a series of pre-selected questions that may or may not be applicable to an individual. An alternative to the pre-selected question format is an open format design that allows the person with a hearing loss to designate areas of concern to them. One subjective outcome measure that uses this format is the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI) developed by Dillon and his colleagues in Australia. The COSI has been validated and may be useful for oversight with multi-clinician or for multi-clinic systems. The purpose of this study was to address tthe potential of the COSI for such oversight. Specifically, the study examined the inter-observer agreement of the classification of individually identified situations into general categories. The study also re-examined the clinical utility of the COSI as an outcome measure in individual hearing aid fittings. The results demonstrated very good inter-observer agreement for the classification of individually identified situations. In addition, the study supported the usefulness as a clinical outcome measure that had been found by Dillon and his colleagues in Australia. These results indicate that the COSI has potential for oversight of the outcomes of hearing aid intervention in hearing aid delivery organizations.

Fitting and Dispensing Hearing Aids, Third Edition
Fitting and Dispensing Hearing Aids, Third Edition

Author: Brian Taylor

Publisher: Plural Publishing

Published: 2020-09-24

Total Pages: 582

ISBN-13: 1635502128

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The third edition of Fitting and Dispensing Hearing Aids provides clinical audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and graduate students with the latest in practical information reflecting current clinical practice standards. Authored by two of the industry's leading authorities on adult amplification and audiology practice management, the book is sequenced to match the patient's journey through a clinical practice. Its 12 chapters are packed with the latest commercial innovations in hearing aids, basic hearing assessment procedures, patient-related outcome measures, and innovative counseling techniques. Experienced clinicians will also find the updated chapters on help-seeking behavior and hearing aid features and benefits to be valuable to their continued professional development. Hearing aid dispensing always has been a technology-driven profession, heavily dependent on the expertise, thoughtfulness, and good judgment of the licensed professional. Over the past few years, even as technology has continued to evolve at breakneck speed, these skills have become more relevant than ever in the delivery of high-quality patient care, especially to the rapidly aging Baby Boomer population. This bestselling text is required reading for those studying to obtain their hearing aid dispensing license or audiology or speech pathology students looking for the latest in dispensing and fitting hearing aids in a succinct, entertaining format. Because each chapter is written around a specific theme–like wine tasting, travel, baseball, country music, and more–this succinct and entertaining textbook is actually fun to read! New to the Third Edition: * The chapters devoted to fitting modern hearing aids have been thoroughly updated * Thoroughly updated chapter on connectivity * Material on over-the-counter hearing aids and automated real ear measures * Information on newer outcome measures and updated approaches to counseling patients * Information on hearables, self-fitting hearing aids, over-the-counter hearing aids, and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) * Complete review of all special features with case study examples * Revised appendix with several up-to-date industry resources