The purpose of the study is to determine whether a new test of ability to understand speech in noise and an associated counseling program can improve hearing aid satisfaction. Participants will complete routine hearing tests, some hearing-related questionnaires and the new speech test. One group of participants will then receive the new form of counseling, a second group will not. Hearing aid satisfaction following 10 weeks hearing aid use will be compared across the groups.

Condition	Intervention
Hearing Impairment	Procedure: Hearing aid outcomes following new counseling procedure

Further Study Details: 

Primary Outcomes: Self-reported hearing aid use (Frequency and hours per day) at end of study participation (70 days after starting study).; Scores of hearing aid satisfaction rating scales at end of study participation (70 days after starting study).
Secondary Outcomes: Reported hearing aid benefit at end of study participation (70 days after starting study).; Reported hearing handicap at end of study participation (70 days after starting study).
Expected Total Enrollment:  80

Hearing aid dissatisfaction continues to be disappointingly high, even though hearing aid technology has improved dramatically over the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, the results of most commonly used self-report measures cannot be directly compared with the results from performance measures since the modes of testing are very different. Thus, it is hard for clinicians to reconcile data from individuals reporting more handicap or less hearing aid satisfaction than would be expected from their performance. In this study, we will use a test known as the Performance-Perceptual Test (PPT) to determine whether simple counseling based upon discussion of PPT results can be used to better align perceived and measured ability to understand speech-in-noise; and, more importantly, whether such counseling can decrease reported handicap and improve hearing aid satisfaction. Hearing aid users will complete the PPT for aided and unaided listening, along with standardized questionnaires measuring reported auditory disability, handicap and hearing aid satisfaction. Following this, subjects will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects in Group 1 will receive counseling from the experimenter in the form of an explanation and discussion of their PPT results. Subjects in Group 2 will also participate in a discussion with the experimenter, but it will not include an explanation of the PPT. Two weeks after enrollment in the study subjects will complete a second set of questionnaires. Ten weeks after study enrollment subjects will return to the laboratory to rerun the test battery. The impact of the counseling upon PPT values, reported handicap and hearing aid satisfaction and benefit will be compared across the two groups.

Ages Eligible for Study:  45 Years   -   65 Years,  Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Mild-to-moderate symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. Current users of binaural hearing aids

Exclusion Criteria: Conductive hearing impairment or other otological pathology. A score less than age-based norms on the Mini Mental State Examination Asymmetrical hearing loss No prior use of hearing aids. -

Please refer to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov identifier  NCT00126113

Oregon
      Portland VA Medical Center, Portland,  Oregon,  97207,  United States

Study chairs or principal investigators

Gabrielle H Saunders, Ph.D.,  Principal Investigator,  National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research at Portland VA Medical Center   

Study ID Numbers:  C3951R
Last Updated:  August 1, 2005
Record first received:  August 1, 2005
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:  NCT00126113
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2005-08-02