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Hearing devices for children with unilateral hearing loss: Patient- and parent-reported perspectives
Patricia L Purcell1, Rose Jones-Goodrich2, Meghan Wisneski3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Insights
Most children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) who tried hearing devices continued using them, regardless of hearing loss severity. These findings support including personal hearing devices in UHL management.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Hearing Healthcare
Background:
- Management of pediatric unilateral hearing loss (UHL) lacks standardization.
- Patient and parent perspectives are crucial for effective UHL management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gather patient and parent insights on hearing device use in children with UHL.
- To propose an evidence-based management algorithm for pediatric UHL.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to parents of 50 children (ages 5-19) with UHL.
- Interviews were conducted with some youth (ages 11-19) to explore device usage factors.
- Qualitative analysis identified reasons for hearing device adoption and discontinuation.
Main Results:
- 68% of children tried a hearing device, with 47% continuing use.
- Hearing device retention rates were consistent across mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss.
- Discomfort and perceived lack of benefit were primary reasons for discontinuing device use.
Conclusions:
- A significant majority of children with UHL who tried hearing devices continued their use.
- Hearing device retention is not significantly influenced by the degree of hearing loss.
- Personal hearing devices should be integrated into standard management protocols for pediatric UHL.
Objective:
Management of children with unilateral hearing loss is not standardized. The primary goal of this study was to elicit patient- and parent-reported perspectives regarding usage of hearing devices in pediatric UHL and to suggest a basic algorithmic approach to management.
Methods:
Our tertiary care center recruited families of youth ages 5-19 years with unilateral hearing loss from January 2014 through October 2015. Parents of all youths completed a 36-item survey, and some youth ages 11-19 years participated in hour-long interviews. We assessed patterns of hearing device usage among participants, and performed qualitative data analysis to understand factors considered by youths when deciding whether or not to use a hearing device.
Results:
Survey information was collected for 50 patients. Distribution of hearing loss severity in affected ear was mild 14%, moderate 26%, severe 22%, and profound 38%. The majority of children had sensorineural hearing loss (57%), followed by mixed (32%), and then conductive (11%). 34 children (68%) had tried a hearing device; 20 continued to use the device. Retention rates were similar among children with different degrees of hearing loss: mild 66%, moderate 50%, severe 60%, profound 64%. Sixteen children tried a wireless contralateral routing of signal (CROS) device, and 15 tried a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid. Retention rates for CROS and BTE devices were 69% and 47%, respectively. The most common reason for cessation of use was discomfort, followed by lack of benefit.
Conclusion:
A majority of children with unilateral hearing loss who tried a hearing device continued to use it, and retention rates were similar across all degrees of hearing loss. These findings suggest that personal hearing devices should be included in management protocols.
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