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Published on: September 8, 2015
Towards a standardized assessment of manual dexterity in hearing aid users using the ABILHAND questionnaire
Florine Liegeon1,2,3,4, Stéphane Gallégo2,5, Hélèna Rauber
1Institut Pasteur, AP-HP, Inserm, Fondation Pour l'Audition, Institut de l'Audition, IHU reConnect, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between daily manual abilities, as measured by the ABILHAND questionnaire in hearing aid users, and their hearing aid handling skills, independently assessed by a panel of Hearing Care Professionals (HCPs) using a dedicated questionnaire. The study aimed to assess the potential of the ABILHAND questionnaire as a tool to guide HCPs in hearing aid choices.
Design:
A cross-sectional study design was conducted.
Study Sample:
Two hundred and twenty-one adult patients who had been wearing hearing aids for at least one year were recruited during routine follow-up visits. Participants completed the self-administered ABILHAND questionnaire, evaluating manual dexterity through everyday manual tasks. Twenty HCPs completed a non-standardised questionnaire assessing patients' manipulation abilities related to hearing aid use.
Results:
ABILHAND Light-7, a shortened version of the ABILHAND questionnaire, was developed. The two ABILHAND questionnaires showed a negative correlation with age and a positive correlation with the HCP questionnaire. Threshold scores were established for both ABILHAND questionnaires to guide recommendations on hearing aid type and battery size.
Conclusions:
Both ABILHAND and ABILHAND Light-7 are valuable tools for prosthetic orientation, as they help identify devices, batteries, or earpieces that may be too complex for patients to manage.
