Optimum side for fitting a monaural hearing aid. 1. Patients' preference.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Science
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Current criteria for monaural hearing aid fitting rely on unverified theories or anecdotes.
• Experimental validation of fitting side selection is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal ear for fitting a monaural hearing aid.
• To investigate the relationship between audiometric measures and patient preference for hearing aid side.

Main Methods:

• 58 new hearing aid users participated in a crossover study.
• Participants were fitted with a hearing aid in each ear sequentially for 10 weeks per ear.
• Patient preference and reasons were collected post-fitting.

Main Results:

• 52% reported better hearing in one ear, with 80% of these preferring the ear with poorer half-peak level elevation.
• 48% reported no difference in aided hearing, but 20 preferred a side for practical reasons.
• Patient preference prediction from audiometric data showed modest reliability.

Conclusions:

• Bilateral ear molds are recommended for mild to moderate bilateral hearing impairment.
• If a single mold is necessary, it should be fitted to the poorer hearing ear.
• Half-peak level elevation on a speech audiogram is the best indicator for identifying the poorer hearing ear.