Loudness Matching of Signals Spectrally Shaped by a Simulated Hearing Aid

1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Punch ◽  
Brad Rakerd
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Multiple Frequency ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Frequency Responses ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Spectral Tilt

A hearing aid with multiple frequency responses was simulated by programming an equalizer to produce spectral tilt factors of -6, 0, and +6 dB/octave over the frequency range from 0.25 kHz to 4 kHz. Listeners with normal hearing matched the loudness of signals (speech and white noise) that were shaped by these different equalizer settings and delivered via an insert earphone. All signals with spectra that were tilted, either negatively or positively, were perceived as louder than untilted signals. The general pattern of loudness matching was similar across subjects, and intrasubject judgments were found to be highly transitive. A measure of signal power was found to account only moderately well for the individual data. Preliminary evidence from a follow-up study using tilt factors less severe than those used in the main experiment suggests that loudness differences are roughly proportional to the degree of spectral tilt. The incorporation of level corrections approximating those necessary to achieve equal loudness is recommended in the fitting of programmable hearing aids.

Evaluation of Special Hearing Aids for Deaf Children

1971 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman P. Erber
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Stimulation ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Frequency Limit ◽  
Unpublished Studies ◽  
Published Research

Two types of special hearing aid have been developed recently to improve the reception of speech by profoundly deaf children. In a different way, each special system provides greater low-frequency acoustic stimulation to deaf ears than does a conventional hearing aid. One of the devices extends the low-frequency limit of amplification; the other shifts high-frequency energy to a lower frequency range. In general, previous evaluations of these special hearing aids have obtained inconsistent or inconclusive results. This paper reviews most of the published research on the use of special hearing aids by deaf children, summarizes several unpublished studies, and suggests a set of guidelines for future evaluations of special and conventional amplification systems.

Expectations, Prefitting Counseling, and Hearing Aid Outcome

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (05) ◽  
pp. 320-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle H. Saunders ◽  
M Samantha Lewis ◽  
Anna Forsline
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Digital Hearing Aids ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Unrealistic Expectations

Background: Data suggest that having high expectations about hearing aids results in better overall outcome. However, some have postulated that excessively high expectations will result in disappointment and thus poor outcome. It has been suggested that counseling patients with unrealistic expectations about hearing aids prior to fitting may be beneficial. Data, however, are mixed as to the effectiveness of such counseling, in terms of both changes in expectations and final outcome. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether supplementing prefitting counseling with demonstration of real-world listening can (1) alter expectations of new hearing aid users and (2) increase satisfaction over verbal-only counseling. Secondary goals of the study were to examine (1) the relationship between prefitting expectations and postfitting outcome, and (2) the effect of hearing aid fine-tuning on hearing aid outcome. Research Design: Sixty new hearing aid users were fitted binaurally with Beltone Oria behind-the-ear digital hearing aids. Forty participants received prefitting counseling and demonstration of listening situations with the Beltone AVE™ (Audio Verification Environment) system; 20 received prefitting counseling without a demonstration of listening situations. Hearing aid expectations were measured at initial contact and following prefitting counseling. Reported hearing aid outcome was measured after eight to ten weeks of hearing aid use. Study Sample: Sixty new hearing aid users aged between 55 and 81 years with symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups, between which the prefitting counseling and follow-up differed: Group 1 received prefitting counseling in combination with demonstration of listening situations. Additionally, if the participant had complaints about sound quality at the follow-up visit, the hearing aids were fine-tuned using the Beltone AVE system. Group 2 received prefitting counseling in combination with demonstration of listening situations with the Beltone AVE system, but no fine-tuning was provided at follow-up. Group 3 received prefitting hearing aid counseling that did not include demonstration of listening, and the hearing aids were not fine-tuned at the follow-up appointment. Results: The results showed that prefitting hearing aid counseling had small but significant effects on expectations. The two forms of counseling did not differ in their effectiveness at changing expectations; however, anecdotally, we learned from many participants that that they enjoyed listening to the auditory demonstrations and that they found them to be an interesting listening exercise. The data also show that positive expectations result in more positive outcome and that hearing aid fine-tuning is beneficial to the user. Conclusions: We conclude that prefitting counseling can be advantageous to hearing aid outcome and recommend the addition of prefitting counseling to address expectations associated with quality of life and self-image. The data emphasize the need to address unrealistic expectations prior to fitting hearing aids cautiously, so as not to decrease expectations to the extent of discouraging and demotivating the patient. Data also show that positive expectations regarding the impact hearing aids will have on psychosocial well-being are important for successful hearing aid outcome.

A Follow-Up Study of the CROS Hearing Aid

1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedda Aufricht
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Unilateral Hearing Loss ◽  
Conversational Speech ◽  
Noisy Environment ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Speech Distortion ◽  
Male Veterans ◽  
The Mean

A recent development in hearing aids, the contralateral routing of signals (CROS), makes it possible to provide amplification for persons with unilateral hearing loss. In 1967, a CROS eyeglass hearing aid was placed on government contract and made available to veterans. To study the efficiency of the CROS, a follow-up questionnaire was sent to 60 male veterans who had been fitted with this aid. All had demonstrated unilateral hearing losses, and the mean threshold for the speech frequencies (500–2000 Hz) in the good ear was 24 dB. The 54 replies (90%) indicated that 85% wore the aid, liked it, and derived benefit from it; 15% neither liked nor wore the aid. The CROS appeared to be most helpful in listening to conversational speech and at work, and most disturbing in a noisy environment. The complaints about the aid fell into major categories: 33% objected to its poor fit and construction and 11% were disturbed by speech distortion. The CROS aid has been a useful addition to the hearing-aid stock at the clinic reported here. It has expanded the program by providing amplification to veterans who could not be fitted with the conventional stock of aids.

Evaluation of Hardwire Personal Assistive Listening Devices

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Dempsey ◽  
Mark Ross
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Frequency Responses ◽  
Subjective Evaluations ◽  
Potential Benefits

A large number of personal amplifiers have recently become available commercially. These devices have not been classified as hearing aids by the FDA and are therefore not subject to the FDA rules and regulations governing the sales of hearing aid devices. In this investigation, several of these personal amplifiers were evaluated to determine potential benefits and problems for each device. The devices were evaluated electroacoustically and, also, subjectively by a group of adults with sensorineural hearing loss. The results of the electroacoustic evaluation revealed very sharply peaked frequency responses. The subjective evaluations revealed tremendous variability, with some preferences for power and low-frequency amplification. Clinical implications of these results and suggestions for further research are provided.

scholarly journals A Perspective on the Application of Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism in the Branding Process of Hearing Aid Retail Companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-146
Author(s):  
Florian Ross
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Brand Identity ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Healthcare It ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Retail Company

Objective – The aim of this paper is to develop a baseline guide for the branding of hearing aids for use by Hearing Aid Retail Companies. Methodology/Technique – The individual dimensions of Kapferer's brand identity prism were analyzed and practically applied to the branding process of a Hearing Aid Retail Company. Findings – Each dimension plays a relevant role in a consistent branding process. The study concludes that Hearing Aid Retail Companies, particularly smaller ones, should focus on branding due to increasing competition to remain competitive in the market. Novelty – This paper deals with the practical implementation of Kapferer's brand identity prism in the context of Hearing Healthcare. It offers Hearing Healthcare Professionals a framework for the branding process. Type of Paper: Secondary Article – Editorial / Perspective Piece. JEL Classification: M31, M37 Abbreviation: HARC - Hearing Aid Retail Company Keywords: Branding; Marketing; Hearing Healthcare; Kapferer´s Brand Identity Prism. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Ross, F. 2020. A Perspective on the Application of Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism in the Branding Process of Hearing Aid Retail Companies, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review 5(3) 141 – 146. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2020.5.3(2)

Rehabilitative Online Education versus Internet Discussion Group for Hearing Aid Users: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (05) ◽  
pp. 274-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabet Thorén ◽  
Monica Svensson ◽  
Anna Törnqvist ◽  
Gerhard Andersson ◽  
Per Carlbring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Online Discussion Forum

Background: By using the Internet in the audiological rehabilitation process, it might be possible in a cost-effective way to include additional rehabilitation components by informing and guiding hearing aid users about such topics as communication strategies, hearing tactics, and how to handle hearing aids. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online education program for adult experienced hearing aid users including professional guidance by an audiologist and compare it with the effects of participation in an online discussion forum without any professional contact. Research Design: A randomized controlled study with two groups of participants. Repeated measures at prestudy, immediate follow-up, and a 6 mo follow-up. Study Sample: Fifty-nine experienced hearing aid users participated in the study, ranging in age from 24 to 84 yr (mean 63.5 yr). Intervention: The intervention group (N = 29) underwent a five-week rehabilitative online education in which activities for each week included information, tasks, and assignments, and contact with a professional audiologist was included. The participants in the control group (N = 30) were referred to an online discussion forum without any audiologist contact. Data Collection and Analysis: A set of questionnaires administered online were used as outcome measures: (1) Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly, (2) International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids, (3) Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life, and (4) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: Significant improvements measured by the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly were found in both groups of participants, and the effects were maintained at the 6 mo follow-up. The results on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale showed that the participants in the intervention group showed reduced symptoms of depression immediately/6 mo after the intervention. At the 6 mo follow-up participants in the control group reported fewer symptoms of anxiety than they did before the intervention started. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that the Internet can be used to deliver education to experienced hearing aid users who report residual hearing problems such that their problems are reduced by the intervention. The study also suggests that online discussion forums could be used in rehabilitation. A combination of online professional supervised education and online informal discussions could be a promising rehabilitation tool.

Hearing aid insertion: correlation between patients' confidence and ability

2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 378-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
D D Pothier ◽  
C Bredenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Visual Analogue Score ◽  
Moderate Correlation ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
True Ability

Introduction: Once fitted with hearing aids, much reliance is placed on patients' own ability to manage their devices effectively. There has, however, been little research to assess how patients' own confidence compares with their actual ability to manage their hearing aids. This study compares patients' perceptions of their ability to insert their hearing aids with their observed ability to insert the devices satisfactorily.Method: Eighty-five patients provided a rating of their level of confidence in fitting their hearing aid, using a visual analogue score (VAS). This was then compared with their observed level of ability, assessed by an audiologist, also using a VAS (both scores 0–100 mm).Results: We found a weak to moderate correlation between the subjective and objective scores (Pearson r = 0.4912).Conclusions: From these results, we would advise caution when accepting a patient's perceived level of ability as the only indicator of their true ability to insert their hearing aid. This also has important implications for follow-up services that rely only on telephone conversations with patients after a first fitting.

Frequency Responses of Hearing Aids and Their Effects on the Speech Perception of Hearing-Impaired Subjects

1975 ◽  
Vol 84 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 5-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pedeo Pascoe
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Word List ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Closed Set ◽  
Frequency Responses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Monosyllabic Words ◽  
Functional Gain

Eight hearing-impaired subjects were tested with a binaural master hearing aid. This aid has “on-the-head” miniature transducers and has an adjustable frequency response. Five frequency responses were used, two of them were defined by their response in a 2-cm3 coupler: 1) uniform coupler gain (UCG), and 2) 6 dB per octave rise (6 dB). The other responses were defined in terms of functional gain (difference between unaided and aided thresholds): 3) uniform functional gain (UFG); 4) uniform hearing level (UHL); and 5) a simulation of a commercial hearing aid (AS). A significant difference between coupler and functional gain was seen. Discrimination was tested with a special closed-set word list which includes fifty monosyllabic words with a high percentage of voiceless phonemes. Discrimination scores were consistently better with the UHL response. The lowest scores were obtained with the AS response. The average difference in scores between these two responses was 18.4%. Further testing replicated these results and also compared the effects of a different type of word list phonetically balanced (PB); with these lists, the above-mentioned difference in scores was smaller in quiet (5.9%) but larger in noise (20.9%).

NIDCD/VA Hearing Aid Clinical Trial and Follow-Up: Background

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 274-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene W. Bratt ◽  
Mia A.L. Rosenfeld ◽  
David W. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Calidad De Vida ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

This report provides background regarding the Long Term Follow-Up of Patients in the NIDCD/VA Hearing Aid Clinical Trial study and serves as an introduction to the detailed reports that follow in this issue of Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. The authors investigated five- to seven-year benefit/satisfaction in participants from the original NIDCD/VA Hearing Aid Clinical Trial. The new study was designed to investigate current use of the original study hearing aids, to compare changes in selected audiological measures, and to assess possible predictors of long-term hearing aid use. The outcome measures included estimates of speech intelligibility in quiet and noise, self-reported patterns of hearing aid usage, self-reported estimates of activity limitations and quality-of-life issues, estimates of hearing aid satisfaction, and self-reported hearing aid benefit. Overall, the short-term benefits of hearing aid use observed during the original trial were noted to persist in the long term. Este reporte suministra información relacionada con el Seguimiento a Largo Plazo de los Pacientes del Estudio Clínico de Auxiliares Auditivos del NIDCD/VA, y sirve como una introducción de los reportes detallados que siguen a continuación en esta edición del Journal de la Academia Americana de Audiología. Los autores investigaron por cinco a siete años la satisfacción/beneficio en los participantes del Estudio Clínico de Auxiliares Auditivos del NIDCD/VA original. El nuevo estudio fue designado para investigar el uso actual de los auxiliares auditivos (AA) originales del estudio, para comparar cambios en las medidas audiológicas seleccionadas, y evaluar posibles elementos de predicción a largo plazo en el uso de AA. Las medidas de resultado incluyeron estimados de la inteligibilidad del lenguaje en silencio y en ruido, patrones auto-reportados de uso del AA, estimaciones auto-reportadas de limitación en la actividad y en asuntos de calidad de vida, estimaciones de satisfacción en el uso del AA y auto-reportes de beneficios con el AA. Globalmente, los beneficios a corto plazo del uso de auxiliares auditivos durante el estudio original persistieron en el largo plazo.

scholarly journals EHealth and Its Role in Supporting Audiological Rehabilitation: Patient Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators of Using a Personal Hearing Support System With Mobile Application as Part of the EVOTION Study

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa Murdin ◽  
Mark Sladen ◽  
Hannah Williams ◽  
Doris-Eva Bamiou ◽  
Athanasios Bibas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Support System ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
The Individual

BackgroundHearing loss is a major public health challenge. Audiology services need to utilise a range of rehabilitative services and maximise innovative practice afforded by technology to actively promote personalized, participatory, preventative and predictive care if they are to cope with the social and economic burden placed on the population by the rapidly rising prevalence of hearing loss. Digital interventions and teleaudiology could be a key part of providing high quality, cost-effective, patient-centred management. There is currently very limited evidence that assesses the hearing impaired patient perspective on the acceptance and usability of this type of technology.AimThis study aims to identify patient perceptions of the use of a hearing support system including a mobile smartphone app when used with Bluetooth-connected hearing aids across the everyday life of users, as part of the EVOTION project.MethodsWe applied a questionnaire to 564 participants in three countries across Europe and analysed the following topics: connectivity, hearing aid controls, instructional videos, audiological tests and auditory training.Key FindingsOlder users were just as satisfied as younger users when operating this type of technology. Technical problems such as Bluetooth connectivity need to be minimised as this issue is highly critical for user satisfaction, engagement and uptake. A system that promotes user-controllability of hearing aids that is more accessible and easier to use is highly valued. Participants are happy to utilise monitoring tests and auditory training on a mobile phone out of the clinic but in order to have value the test battery needs to be relevant and tailored to each user, easy to understand and use. Such functions can elicit a negative as well as positive experience for each user.ConclusionOlder and younger adults can utilise an eHealth mobile app to complement their rehabilitation and health care. If the technology works well, is tailored to the individual and in-depth personalised guidance and support is provided, it could assist maximisation of hearing aid uptake, promotion of self-management and improving outcomes.

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