ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Age-related hearing loss has potential effects on communication, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of the older person's life. Evaluating the role of hearing aids in reducing these difficulties is important. This study aimed to evaluate communication difficulties, self-perceived handicaps, and depression in hearing-impaired older adults who are either hearing aid users or non-users. METHODS: A total of 114 older adults in the age range of 55-85 years with moderate to moderately severe hearing loss (two hearing-matched groups; hearing aid users: n = 57; hearing aid non-users: n = 57) took part in this study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-perceived hearing handicaps and communication were evaluated using the Hearing Handicap Inventory in the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S) and Self-Assessment Communication (SAC) questionnaires. Depression was assessed using the geriatric depression scale (GDS). RESULTS: The average score of HHIE-S was significantly higher in the hearing aid users than the non-users (16.61 ± 10.39 vs. 12.49 ± 9.84; p = 0.01). Differences between groups were not significant for SAC or GDS scores (p ≥ 0.05). There were strong positive correlations between HHIE-S and SAC scores in both groups. Moderate correlations were found between SAC and GDS scores in the hearing aid users and between the duration of using hearing aid with SAC and HHIE-S scores. CONCLUSION: It seems that self-perceived handicaps, communication difficulties and depression are affected by many factors, and only receiving hearing aids without subsequent support such as auditory rehabilitation and programming services cannot bring the expected output. The effect of these factors was clearly observed due to reduced access to services in the COVID-19 era.
ABSTRACT
The present study explored the impact of COVID-19 on hearing health and problems faced by older adults using hearing aid/s. Fifty older adults in the age range of 55-95 years were selected for the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Therefore, the developed questionnaire was administered to them. Statistical analysis was performed for all the responses achieved. Closure of hearing aid companies and audiological centers was found to have a negative impact on availing audiological services. Likewise, a huge hike in the price of these services made it impossible for people to afford them. Despite the availability of tele-audiology, older adults were not able to make the best use of it due to numerous reasons. We sought to explore patients' perceptions to break down these barriers by enhancing the quality of tele-audiology, home visits, and remote services. Therefore, the present report may facilitate in planning and implementation of policies related to audiological services, especially during times of crisis, which may help strengthen our hearing health care system. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03209-8.
ABSTRACT
Older adults with age-related hearing loss often use hearing aids (HAs) to compensate. However, certain challenges in speech perception, especially in noise still exist, despite today's HA technology. The current study presents an evaluation of a home-based auditory exercises program that can be used during the adaptation process for HA use. The home-based program was developed at a time when telemedicine became prominent in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 53 older adults with age-related symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. They were divided into three groups depending on their experience using HAs. Group 1: Experienced users (participants who used bilateral HAs for at least 2 years). Group 2: New users (participants who were fitted with bilateral HAs for the first time). Group 3: Non-users. These three groups underwent auditory exercises for 3 weeks. The auditory tasks included auditory detection, auditory discrimination, and auditory identification, as well as comprehension with basic (syllables) and more complex (sentences) stimuli, presented in quiet and in noisy listening conditions. All participants completed self-assessment questionnaires before and after the auditory exercises program and underwent a cognitive test at the end. Self-assessed improvements in hearing ability were observed across the HA users groups, with significant changes described by new users. Overall, speech perception in noise was poorer than in quiet. Speech perception accuracy was poorer in the non-users group compared to the users in all tasks. In sessions where stimuli were presented in quiet, similar performance was observed among new and experienced uses. New users performed significantly better than non-users in all speech in noise tasks; however, compared to the experienced users, performance differences depended on task difficulty. The findings indicate that HA users, even new users, had better perceptual performance than their peers who did not receive hearing aids.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a widely prevalent yet manageable condition that has been linked to neurocognitive and psychiatric comorbidities. Multiple barriers hinder older individuals from being diagnosed with ARHL through pure-tone audiometry. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the closure of many outpatient audiology and otolaryngology offices. Smartphone-based hearing assessment apps may overcome these challenges by enabling patients to remotely self-administer their own hearing examination. The objective of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of current mobile health applications (apps) that claim to assess hearing. DESIGN: Narrative review. MEASUREMENTS: The Apple App Store and Google Play Store were queried for apps that claim to assess hearing. Relevant apps were downloaded and used to conduct a mock hearing assessment. Names of included apps were searched on four literature databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) to determine which apps had been validated against gold standard methods. RESULTS: App store searches identified 44 unique apps. Apps differed with respect to the type of test offered (e.g., hearing threshold test), cost, strategies to reduce ambient noise, test output (quantitative vs qualitative results), and options to export results. Validation studies were identified for seven apps. CONCLUSION: Given their low cost and relative accessibility, smartphone-based hearing apps may facilitate screening for ARHL, particularly in the setting of limitations on in-person medical care due to COVID-19. However, app features vary widely, few apps have been validated, and user-centered designs for older adults are largely lacking. Further research and validation efforts are necessary to determine whether smartphone-based hearing assessments are a feasible and accurate screening tool for ARHL. Key Points Age-related hearing loss is a prevalent yet undertreated condition among older adults. Why Does this Paper Matter? Smartphone-based hearing test apps may facilitate remote screening for hearing loss, but limitations surrounding app validation, usability, equipment calibration, and data security should be addressed.