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Long-term effects of synchronous remote fine-tuning and follow-ups for experienced hearing-aid users
Milijana Malmberg1,2, Jennie Hagberg1
1Region Västra Götaland, Habilitation & Health, Hearing Organisation, Göteborg, Sweden.
Objective:
The benefits of aural rehabilitation are well established, and assessing long-term outcomes is strongly recommended. This report presents a long-term follow-up of a randomised controlled trial comparing the impact of incorporating remote synchronous fine-tuning and follow-ups into aural rehabilitation.
Design And Study Sample:
The study included experienced hearing aid users who underwent renewed aural rehabilitation. The control group (n = 49) received standard care with five clinical visits, while the intervention group (n = 46) received both clinical and remote follow-ups, including immediate fine-tuning after hearing-related problems. Outcome measures addressing self-rated hearing difficulties and various aspects of HL were posted to participants in both groups, 6 months and 1 year after completing aural rehabilitation.
Results:
Both groups showed significant improvements across all outcome measures at the 6-month and 1-year follow-ups. Notably, at 6 months post-intervention, the intervention group reported significantly greater satisfaction than the control group.
Conclusions:
Both standard clinical and combined clinical and remote follow-ups led to sustained reductions in hearing and communication difficulties at 6 months and 1 year post-intervention. These findings suggest that consistent follow-up supports long-term hearing-related functioning and that the mode of delivery (remote vs. in-person) may be less critical for maintaining these outcomes.
