Effectiveness of a tinnitus management programme: a 2-year follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Otolaryngology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Tinnitus affects 0.5-1% of the population, significantly impairing quality of life.
• Current medical and surgical treatments for tinnitus are largely ineffective.
• Counselling, particularly when combined with hearing devices, may offer relief for tinnitus sufferers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize clients with tinnitus and their specific conditions.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined counselling and hearing device intervention.
• To identify specific client groups that benefit most from the intervention.

Main Methods:

• One hundred tinnitus clients completed the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) at baseline, one month, and 1-2 years.
• Paired data tests analyzed score differences over time.
• Logistic regression identified factors associated with a clinically significant improvement (≥20 points in THI score).

Main Results:

• Mean THI scores significantly decreased from 37.2 at baseline to 29.8 at 1-2 years (p < 0.01).
• Clinically important improvement was achieved by 27% (1 month) and 24% (1-2 years) of clients.
• Higher baseline THI scores correlated with greater improvement; therapist effects were also noted.

Conclusions:

• The tinnitus management program offers significant benefits at a low cost (approx. 200 EUR/client).
• The program's effectiveness is comparable to Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT).
• Further research via randomized controlled trials is recommended to compare this approach with other combination therapies.