To improve hearing-impaired individuals' communication and personal adjustment to their disability, more than hearing aid fitting alone is needed Ear, Nose and Throat
Conditions
Interventions
At the beginning of the study hearing aid dispenser shops will be randomly assigned to offer care as usual (hearing aid care) or hearing aid care including SP. This means that the clusters are defined
a person with whom the participant has regular contact. The communication partner plays an important role in enhancing the motivation of the participant.
Participants who are assigned
Sponsors
VU University Medical Center Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Are at least 50 years old 2. Are open to the possibility to take up a new hearing aid on one or both ears (at the time of the preparation appointment at the hearing aid dispenser) 3. Purchase a new hearing aid on one or both ears (after the two-month trial period) 4. Have sufficient understanding of the Dutch language (speaking, writing, reading) 5. Have access to a personal computer (desktop, laptop, palmtop, iPad/tablet, smartphone) with an internet connection for the total duration of the study
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Hearing aid dispenser clients who: 1. Also receive care at a specialized Audiological Clinic, since this mostly involves people with complex hearing disabilities. This care may overlap and/or interfere with that of the support programme 2. Receive a hearing aid primarily to suppress tinnitus complaints. For these individuals the focus of the rehabilitation is not on restoring communication per se and as such, they are not part of the target group
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Primary outcome measures as of 14/11/2018: The use of communication strategies, measured with the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) at baseline and after 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 18 (T3) months. Communication strategies are measured using the following three CPHI-subscales: maladaptive behaviours, verbal strategies and non-verbal strategies. Primary outcome measures as of 31/01/2017: The use of communication strategies and personal adjustment to hearing impairment, measured with the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) at baseline and after 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 18 (T3) months Previous primary outcome measures: Coping with hearing loss, measured with the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) at baseline and after 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 18 (T3) months | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Secondary outcome measures as of 14/11/2018: 1. Personal adjustment to hearing impairment, measured with the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI), at baseline, and after 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 18 (T3) months. Personal adjustment is measured using the following three CPHI-subscales: self-acceptance, acceptance of loss, and stress and withdrawal. 2. Self-efficacy of hearing aid use and will be measured by the Basic Handling subscale of the Measure of Audiologic Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy for Hearing Aids (MARS-HA) at baseline, T1, T2 and T3. At baseline it covers the ‘expected self-efficacy’ of the new hearing aid, while T1, T2 and T3 prompts the ‘experienced self-efficacy’. Added 31/01/2017: At T1, T2, and T3, the 5-item subscale Advanced Handling will be additionally administered 3. Actual use of the hearing aid/or use of the 'Alternative Intervention' will be measured with the first item of the International Outcome Inventory – Hearing Aids / International Outcome Inventory – Alternative Interventions questionnaire (IOI-HA/IOI-AI). Hearing aid use/use of the alternative intervention will only be measured at T1, T2 and T3. Furthermore, three questions from the Questionnaire regarding hearing aid usage developed by Laplante-Lévesque and colleagues will be used 4. Efficacy of the hearing aid/alternative intervention will be measured by items of the IOI-HA/IOI-AI questionnaire: benefit (item 2), residual activity limitation (3), satisfaction (4), residual participation restriction (5), impact on others (6) and quality of life (7) of the hearing aid and/or the alternative intervention. In addition to the IOI-AI items, three items of the IOI-HA will be administered in the group of participants who received the Support Program. These are: use (item 1), satisfaction (item 4) and quality of life (item 7). These IOI- items will also only be assessed at T1, T2, and T3 5. Satisfact | — |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed