Evaluation of three care pathways following hearing aid fitting. V.1.7
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study evaluating the potential communication benefits of three different care pathways for newly fitted first time hearing aid patients.
IRAS ID
180484
Contact name
Scott Richards
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Aston University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 28 days
Research summary
Background
Successful uptake of hearing aids can be low, with only 60% of patients fitted with hearing aids using them regularly. There is evidence to support the view that auditory training can improve hearing along with improved usage of hearing aids. Communication is an essential human activity with one study reporting on community dwelling older adults that 'hearing loss is independently associated with accelerated cognitive decline'. However, there is a paucity of research data on the benefits of rehabilitation of hearing on cognitive function.
Purpose
The aim of this feasibility study is to evaluate three hearing care pathways.Methods
Participants will include patients attending the Great Western Hospital, Swindon Audiology clinic, aged between 50-80 years old with a mild/moderate sensory hearing loss and having hearing aids fitted for the first time. Following the fitting of the hearing aids(for the first time) patients wishing to join the study will be asked to undertake listening and information processing assessments. Thereafter, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three pathway as follows:.
1.Pathway 1-Auditory Training(AT):Participants undertake on-line training exercise for 20 days (30 minutes a day) with immediate feedback (on performance) provided upon completion of each exercise.
2.Pathway 2-Structured Listening Exercises (SLE): Participants will perform listening tasks.
3.Pathway 3-Current Practice(CP): This is the control group. Participants will use their hearing aids as per the current protocol implemented at the Audiology Department, Great Western Hospital, Swindon.After 1 month, all participants will undertake listening and processing of information assessments and after 6 months the ‘AT’ group will be invited back to repeat the assessments to see what if any residual benefit remains.
Outcomes
The benefits of each of the three pathways will be evaluated to assess the outcomes of the three pathways on hearing, communication, usage of hearing aids and cognitive function.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0496
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion