Comparison of speech recognition performance with and without a face mask between a basic and a premium hearing aid in hearing-impaired listeners.
Am J Otolaryngol
; 44(5): 103929, 2023 May 21.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2326168
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic leads to communication challenges as sound energy gets reduced and the visual cues are lost due to the face mask. This study examines the impact of a face mask on sound energy and compares speech recognition performance between a basic and a premium hearing aid.METHODS:
Participants watched four video clips (a female and a male speaker with and without a face mask) and repeated the target sentences in various test conditions. Real-ear measurement was performed to investigate the changes in sound energy in no mask, surgical, and N95 mask conditions.RESULTS:
With the face mask on, sound energy significantly decreased for all types of masks. For speech recognition, the premium hearing aid showed significant improvement in the mask condition.CONCLUSION:
The findings emphasize and encourage health care professionals to actively use communication strategies, such as speaking slowly and reducing background noise, when interacting with individuals with hearing loss.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
English
Journal:
Am J Otolaryngol
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS