Targeted Re-Instruction for Hearing Aid Use and Care Skills

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if re-instructing a hearing aid (HA) user on the specific skill(s) they could not successfully perform on the Practical Hearing Aid Skills Test-Revised (PHAST-R) resulted in better HA use and care skills than a traditional fitting method. This is referred to as "targeted re-instruction." Also, factors that might affect HA use and care skills, including memory function, hearing handicap, and hearing aid-related attitudes, were assessed. Method This study was a randomized control trial. Twenty-six new HA users (13 experimental; 13 control) were fit with HAs and provided a standard HA orientation. HA use and care skills were measured immediately following the HA fitting and then again at 4 weeks post-HA fitting. The experimental group was administered the PHAST-R twice during the trial period to identify the HA use and care skills that participants needed re-instruction on. Results Participants in the experimental group maintained their HA use and care skills over the 4-week HA trial period, whereas participants in the control group showed a significant decline. Working memory, hearing handicap, and HA-related attitudes were not found to be correlated with HA use and care skills. Conclusions Participants who did not receive targeted re-instruction showed a decline in their HA use and care skills after only 4 weeks of HA use, whereas targeted re-instruction prevented a decline in HA use and care skills. It took an average of less than 10 min to administer the PHAST-R and provide targeted re-instruction, indicating that it would be appropriate to use in a clinical setting.