[Outcome analysis of hearing aids fitting for 2 635 hearing-impaired people]

To investigate the reasons that hearing-impaired patients who owned the indication of hearing aid fitting but were not successfully fitted.

Analyzing the records of hearing aid fitting for 2 635 hearing-impaired people from 2005 to 2010, especially for the people who were not successfully fitted.

In general, there were 1 700 people having proper hearing aids. The success rate of hearing aid fitting is 64.52%, which increased year by year. According to the analysis of records about hearing-impaired people who were not successfully fitting, the primary factor was economic constraints (23.64%), the second was the patients could not accept them (18.61%), and the third was acceptation and satisfaction for the professional centers (10.27%). The another factor also included the dissatisfaction for the hearing aid (8.13%). Meanwhile, it showed the success rate in the auditory specialist clinic was significantly lower than that in the general otolaryngologist clinic (P < 0.05). In addition, the success rate (61.29%) in the group patients' ages were lower than 50 years old was significantly lower than that (66.33%) in the group patients' ages were more than 50 years old (P < 0.05).

The research shows that so many factors could lead to the success of hearing aid fitting. So its necessary for us to do some special things to overcome them, including disseminating the knowledge about hearing rehabilitation and improving our abilities. They are the only solutions to improve the patients confidence and make them get the better rehabilitation from the hearing aids.