The quantification of hearing aid benefit in the elderly: the role of self-assessment measures

The efficacy of disease-specific self-assessment scales, as a measure of hearing aid benefit in the elderly, has recently been documented by several investigators. One of the most robust measures appears to be the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), an instrument which assesses the emotional and social effects of hearing loss in the elderly. Using the HHIE, statistically and clinically significant improvements in self-perceived handicap have been noted at three week, six week, four month and one year intervals. Interestingly, longitudinal studies have demonstrated that the percentage improvement in hearing handicap is typically sustained when subjects undergo longitudinal testing. The ten item screening version of the HHIE (HHIE-S), which is an effective outcome measure has also been shown to be predictive of hearing aid uptake. The aforementioned findings have implications for rehabilitative programming, quality assurance studies, government and third party payers considering reimbursement of hearing aids.