Differences Between Older Adults Who Do and Do Not Try Hearing Aids and Between Those Who Keep and Return the Devices

Focusing on positive listening experiences improves hearing aid outcomes in first-time hearing aid users: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate whether positive focus (PF), an intervention that asks hearing aid users to focus on positive listening experiences, improves hearing aid outcomes for first-time hearing aid users.

DESIGN

The participants were randomised into a control or PF group. They were fitted with hearing aids and followed for six months after fitting. The PF group was asked to report positive listening experiences in their daily life via an app. Participants in both groups were periodically prompted by the app to answer questionnaires about hearing aid satisfaction and benefit. Two follow-up visits at approximately one and six months were performed.

STUDY SAMPLE

20 adult first-time hearing aid users in the control and 18 in the PF group.

RESULTS

Hearing aid satisfaction and benefit scores were significantly better in the PF group, already at two weeks and throughout the six months. In the PF group, the hearing aid outcomes were positively correlated with the number of submitted positive reports.

CONCLUSIONS

These results point to the importance of asking first-time hearing aid users to focus on positive listening experiences and to reflect upon them. This can lead to improved short- and long-term hearing aid outcomes.

Factors correlated with hearing aids adherence in older adults: a prospective controlled study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate which factors influence the adherence to hearing aid (HA) use in elderly patients with moderate-to-severe hearing loss.

METHODS

This observational, prospective, single-centre study enrolled patients with moderate-to-severe hearing loss. They were evaluated before and 1 year after having either one or two HAs fitted.

RESULTS

A total of 86 patients were enrolled in the study and of these 69.8% (60 of 86; USER group) continued to use their HA at 1 year after fitting; six patients had not continued their use (NON-USERS). The USER group was younger than the NON-USER group, but the difference was not significant. The USER group had a significantly better unaided auditory threshold at baseline than the NON-USER group. HA use resulted in improvements in speech audiometry and auditory threshold. There was also a maintenance of cognitive function in the USER group.

CONCLUSION

Use of HA for 1 year resulted in improved auditory performance and an absence of a deterioration of cognitive function.Trial registration: This research was retrospectively registered under no. NCT04333043 at ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/) on the 26 March 2020. This research has been registered with the Ethics Committee of the Area Vasta Emilia Nord under number 104, date of approval 17/07/2017.

Customer Archetypes in Hearing Health Care

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to determine if there are unique customer archetypes that can describe the motivations behind consumer buying choice (in person or online) for hearing aids in hearing health care.

METHOD

A consumer survey was developed from themes that arose during 11 semistructured interviews with adults who had no previous hearing aid experience. Using Qualtrics research panels, a 28-item questionnaire was distributed online to U.S. residents above the age of 50 years with no previous hearing aid experience. A quota of 1,000 completed responses was set, with a maximum of 70% of respondents identifying as White. Completed surveys were obtained from 1,377 individuals. Three hundred forty responses were excluded due to ineligibility and/or poor response quality.

RESULTS

Two unique customer archetypes were developed using five factors identified in the data set: Physician Trust, Sociability, Comfort Buying Online, Verify Sources, and Reliance on Others. Eighty-four percent of respondents chose an in-person pathway for hearing health care. There was no association between customer archetype and pathway selection choice.

CONCLUSIONS

The two archetypes reflect those with greater comfort with consuming health care online and in person, respectively. However, both archetypes are likely to use in-person models of hearing health care at the present time.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24431212.

Factors Influencing Hearing Help-Seeking and Hearing Aid Uptake in Adults: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade

This systematic review examined the audiological and nonaudiological factors that influence hearing help-seeking and hearing aid uptake in adults with hearing loss based on the literature published during the last decade. Peer-reviewed articles published between January 2011 and February 2022 were identified through systematic searches in electronic databases CINAHL, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. The review was conducted and reported according to the PRISMA protocol. Forty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. Seventy (42 audiological and 28 nonaudiological) hearing help-seeking factors and 159 (93 audiological and 66 nonaudiological) hearing aid uptake factors were investigated with many factors reported only once (10/70 and 62/159, respectively). Hearing aid uptake had some strong predictors (e.g., hearing sensitivity) with others showing conflicting results (e.g., self-reported health). Hearing help-seeking had clear nonpredictive factors (e.g., education) and conflicting factors (e.g., self-reported health). New factors included cognitive anxiety associated with increased help-seeking and hearing aid uptake and urban residency and access to financial support with hearing aid uptake. Most studies were rated as having a low level of evidence (67%) and fair quality (86%). Effective promotion of hearing help-seeking requires more research evidence. Investigating factors with conflicting results and limited evidence is important to clarify what factors support help-seeking and hearing aid uptake in adults with hearing loss. These findings can inform future research and hearing health promotion and rehabilitation practices.