Randomized, cross over study to assess patient preference for an acoustically modified hearing aid system.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Aid Technology
• Speech and Hearing Sciences

Background:

• Selective amplification aims to improve audibility for hearing-impaired individuals.
• Hearing aid modifications, like tone control and venting, are common but patient preference is not well-understood.
• Previous laboratory studies showed audiometric task improvement with amplification, but real-world preference remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient preference for a modified hearing aid system (high-tone emphasis) in first-time hearing aid users.
• To determine if specific audiogram slopes correlate with preference for modified hearing aid settings.
• To evaluate the real-world benefit of high-frequency amplification in mild to moderate hearing impairment.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover study involving 83 first-time hearing aid users.
• Comparison of a standard hearing aid setting versus a modified setting ('H' tone, 2 mm vent).
• Analysis of patient preference based on audiogram slope at different frequency ranges (0.5-4 kHz and 0.25-1 kHz).

Main Results:

• No consistent preference for the modified system was found when subgrouped by overall audiogram slope (0.5-4 kHz).
• Patients with a steeper slope between 0.25 and 1 kHz significantly preferred the high-tone emphasis system (p < 0.005).
• The 'real ear effect' at lower frequencies (0.25-1 kHz) was crucial for determining preference.

Conclusions:

• Hearing aid modifications for high-frequency emphasis are preferred by a subset of users with specific audiometric profiles.
• The slope of the audiogram between 0.25 and 1 kHz is a key predictor of preference for high-tone emphasis.
• Findings support tailoring hearing aid settings based on individual audiometric characteristics for improved patient satisfaction.