Short- and Long-Term Effects of the Modified Swedish Version of the Active Communication Education (ACE) Program for Adults with Hearing Loss

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (09) ◽  
pp. 848-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Öberg ◽  
Therese Bohn ◽  
Ulrika Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Communication Education ◽  
Swedish Version ◽  
Active Communication

Background: In Sweden, there is a lack of evidence-based rehabilitation programs for hearing loss. The Active Communication Education program (ACE) has successfully been used in Australia and was translated and evaluated in a Swedish pilot study. The pilot study included 23 participants (age 87 yr). No statistically significant effects were found, but the qualitative assessments indicated that this population found the program to be beneficial. The participants requested more focus on the psychosocial consequences of hearing loss, and the modules in the original ACE program were modified. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of a modified Swedish version of the ACE program in a population aged 39–82 yr old. Research Design: Design was a between-group and within-group intervention study. Study Sample: The participants were recruited from the hearing health clinic in Linköping during 2010 and 2012. A total of 73 participants agreed to undergo the ACE, and 67 (92%) completed three or more sessions. Intervention: The ACE program consists of five weekly 2 hr group sessions with 6 to 10 participants per group. Data Collection and Analysis: The outcomes were measured before initiation of the program, 3 wk after program completion, and 6 mo after program completion and included communication strategy use, activity and participation, health-related quality of life, and anxiety and depression. In addition, outcomes were measured after program completion using the International Outcome Inventory–Alternative Interventions, a modified version of the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement, and qualitative feedback was obtained about the response to the program and actions taken as a result of participation. The treatment effects were examined using repeated-measures analyses of variance. Results: Statistically significant effects were found for communication strategy use, activity and participation, and psychosocial well-being. Statistically significant effects were found for gender and degree of hearing loss, indicating that women and those with mild hearing loss significantly improved communication strategies. Conclusions: It is suggested that the program be implemented as part of regular audiological rehabilitation and offered in an early stage of rehabilitation.

A Preliminary Evaluation of the Active Communication Education Program in a Sample of 87-Year-Old Hearing Impaired Individuals

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (02) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Öberg ◽  
Therese Bohn ◽  
Ulrika Larsson ◽  
Louise Hickson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Communication Education ◽  
Hearing Aid Fitting ◽  
Active Communication

Background: Previous research suggests that audiological rehabilitation for older adults could include group communication programs in addition to hearing aid fitting or as an alternative to hearing aid fitting for those people who do not wish to proceed with hearing aids. This pilot study was a first attempt to evaluate a Swedish version of such a program, Active Communication Education (ACE), which had been developed and previously evaluated in Australia (Hickson et al, 2007a). Purpose: The aim of the study was to explore the use of the ACE program in an older-old population of people aged 87 yr in Sweden. Research Design: A within-subject intervention study. Study Sample: The participants were recruited from the Elderly in Linköping Screening Assessment (ELSA), a population-based study of the functional abilities of all inhabitants of the city of Linkoping aged 85 yr in 2007. Participants who responded to the hearing related items in the ELSA study were approached for this study; 29 people agreed to undertake ACE, and 23 (79%) completed three or more sessions. Intervention: The ACE program consists of five weekly 2 hr group sessions with six to ten participants per group. Data Collection and Analysis: Self-report measures of communication strategy use, activity and participation, health-related quality of life, and depression were obtained preprogram, 3 wk postprogram, and 6 mo postprogram. Within-group changes and effect sizes were calculated. In addition, outcomes were measured postprogram using the International Outcome Inventory—Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI; Noble, 2002) and a modified version of the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI; Dillon et al, 1997; Hickson et al, 2007b), and qualitative feedback was obtained. Results: The effect size of ACE was small (0.03–0.27), and, in the sample of 23 included in this pilot study, differences in pre- and postprogram assessments were not statistically significant. Results from the IOI-AI and the modified COSI indicated that these elderly participants found the program to be beneficial, and 90% stated that the course had increased their ability to deal with hearing loss and the problems it creates. Conclusions: This preliminary investigation indicates the potential benefits of ACE for older adults, and further research is needed with larger numbers of participants in different age groups to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the ACE program for a general Swedish population.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a Web-Based SUpport PRogram (SUPR) for Hearing Aid Users Aged 50+: Two-Arm, Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine FJ Meijerink ◽  
Marieke Pronk ◽  
Birgit I Lissenberg-Witte ◽  
Vera Jansen ◽  
Sophia E Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Web Based

BACKGROUND Hearing aid (HA) use is known to improve health outcomes for people with hearing loss. Despite that, HA use is suboptimal, and communication issues and hearing-related activity limitations and participation restrictions often remain. Web-based self-management communication programs may support people with hearing loss to effectively self-manage the impact of hearing loss in their daily lives. OBJECTIVE The goal of the research is to examine the short- and long-term effects of a web-based self-management SUpport PRogram (SUPR) on communication strategy use (primary outcome) and a range of secondary outcomes for HA users aged 50 years and older. METHODS Clients of 36 HA dispensing practices were randomized to SUPR (SUPR recipients; n=180 HA users) and 34 to care as usual (controls; n=163 HA users). SUPR recipients received a practical support booklet and online materials delivered via email over the course of their 6-month HA rehabilitation trajectory. They were encouraged to appoint a communication partner and were offered optional email contact with the HA dispensing practice. The online materials included 3 instruction videos on HA handling, 5 videos on communication strategies, and 3 testimonial videos. Care as usual included a HA fitting rehabilitation trajectory only. Measurements were carried out at baseline, immediately postintervention, 6 months postintervention, and 12 months postintervention. The primary outcome measure was self-reported use of communication strategies (3 subscales of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired [CPHI]). Secondary outcome measures included self-reported personal adjustment to hearing loss (CPHI); use, satisfaction and benefit of HAs and SUPR (use questionnaire; International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids [IOI-HA], Alternative Interventions [IOI-AI]); recommendation of HA dispensing services; self-efficacy for HA handling (Measure of Audiologic Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy for Hearing Aids [MARS-HA]); readiness to act on hearing loss (University of Rhode Island Change Assessment adapted for hearing loss [URICA-HL]); and hearing disability (Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap [AIADH]). RESULTS Linear mixed model analyses (intention to treat) showed no significant differences between the SUPR and control group in the course of communication strategy use (CPHI). Immediately postintervention, SUPR recipients showed significantly higher self-efficacy for advanced HA handling than the controls, which was sustained at 12 months (MARS-HA; mean difference immediately postintervention: 5.3, 95% CI 0.3 to 10.4; <i>P</i>=.04). Also, SUPR recipients showed significantly greater HA satisfaction than controls immediately postintervention (IOI-HA; 0.3, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.5; <i>P</i>=.006), which was sustained at 12 months, and significantly greater HA use than the controls immediately postintervention (IOI-HA; 0.3, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.5; <i>P</i>=.03), which was not sustained at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS This study provides ground to recommend adding SUPR to standard HA dispensing care, as long-term, modest improvements in HA outcomes were observed. Further research is needed to evaluate what adjustments to SUPR are needed to establish long-term effectiveness on outcomes in the psychosocial domain. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN77340339; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN77340339 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015012

Adaptation of the “active communication education” programme into Spanish for older adults with hearing loss

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 719-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastián Rivera ◽  
Anthony Marcotti ◽  
Adrian Fuente ◽  
Eduardo Fuentes-López ◽  
Louise Hickson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Communication Education ◽  
Active Communication

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a Web-Based SUpport PRogram (SUPR) for Hearing Aid Users Aged 50+: Two-Arm, Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/17927 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e17927
Author(s):  
Janine FJ Meijerink ◽  
Marieke Pronk ◽  
Birgit I Lissenberg-Witte ◽  
Vera Jansen ◽  
Sophia E Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Web Based

Background Hearing aid (HA) use is known to improve health outcomes for people with hearing loss. Despite that, HA use is suboptimal, and communication issues and hearing-related activity limitations and participation restrictions often remain. Web-based self-management communication programs may support people with hearing loss to effectively self-manage the impact of hearing loss in their daily lives. Objective The goal of the research is to examine the short- and long-term effects of a web-based self-management SUpport PRogram (SUPR) on communication strategy use (primary outcome) and a range of secondary outcomes for HA users aged 50 years and older. Methods Clients of 36 HA dispensing practices were randomized to SUPR (SUPR recipients; n=180 HA users) and 34 to care as usual (controls; n=163 HA users). SUPR recipients received a practical support booklet and online materials delivered via email over the course of their 6-month HA rehabilitation trajectory. They were encouraged to appoint a communication partner and were offered optional email contact with the HA dispensing practice. The online materials included 3 instruction videos on HA handling, 5 videos on communication strategies, and 3 testimonial videos. Care as usual included a HA fitting rehabilitation trajectory only. Measurements were carried out at baseline, immediately postintervention, 6 months postintervention, and 12 months postintervention. The primary outcome measure was self-reported use of communication strategies (3 subscales of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired [CPHI]). Secondary outcome measures included self-reported personal adjustment to hearing loss (CPHI); use, satisfaction and benefit of HAs and SUPR (use questionnaire; International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids [IOI-HA], Alternative Interventions [IOI-AI]); recommendation of HA dispensing services; self-efficacy for HA handling (Measure of Audiologic Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy for Hearing Aids [MARS-HA]); readiness to act on hearing loss (University of Rhode Island Change Assessment adapted for hearing loss [URICA-HL]); and hearing disability (Amsterdam Inventory for Auditory Disability and Handicap [AIADH]). Results Linear mixed model analyses (intention to treat) showed no significant differences between the SUPR and control group in the course of communication strategy use (CPHI). Immediately postintervention, SUPR recipients showed significantly higher self-efficacy for advanced HA handling than the controls, which was sustained at 12 months (MARS-HA; mean difference immediately postintervention: 5.3, 95% CI 0.3 to 10.4; P=.04). Also, SUPR recipients showed significantly greater HA satisfaction than controls immediately postintervention (IOI-HA; 0.3, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.5; P=.006), which was sustained at 12 months, and significantly greater HA use than the controls immediately postintervention (IOI-HA; 0.3, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.5; P=.03), which was not sustained at 12 months. Conclusions This study provides ground to recommend adding SUPR to standard HA dispensing care, as long-term, modest improvements in HA outcomes were observed. Further research is needed to evaluate what adjustments to SUPR are needed to establish long-term effectiveness on outcomes in the psychosocial domain. Trial Registration ISRCTN77340339; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN77340339 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015012

scholarly journals 205 The Effects of Acquired Hearing Loss in Later Life - A Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Amy Walsh ◽  
Amr El Refaie ◽  
Anna Kingston ◽  
Gerrie O'Grady ◽  
Siobhán Laoide-Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Acquired Hearing Loss ◽  
Rich Data

Abstract Background Acquired hearing loss (AHL) is defined as a hearing loss which is acquired after birth or at any other time in one’s life. In Ireland one in every twelve adults has a permanent hearing loss as a result of ageing or exposure to noise. Statistical findings are consistent with people identified with hearing loss in later life having a corresponding higher risk of cognitive decline. The pilot study aimed to investigate the experience of members of a deaf association who had been diagnosed with AHL in later life. This is the first time this particular group has been surveyed in Ireland. Methods A qualitative research design was used. The information was gathered using an open-ended questionnaire which was distributed to 30 participants. Rich data was extracted and analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006). Results 12 members of the deaf association responded to the questionnaire. From these responses four themes were identified: emotional well-being, management strategies & rehabilitation, promoting awareness and alienation. This study indicated that AHL can have a detrimental effect on people in later life. Conclusion There is irrefutable evidence to suggest that the effect of AHL in later life exceeds the effect on hearing alone and extends to emotional and physical well-being as well as overall quality of life. The pilot study demonstrates the urgent need for a far-reaching study to evaluate the effect of AHL in later life on the Irish population, its impact on quality of life and cognitive decline while highlighting the need for community awareness and understanding.

The Relationship Between Hearing Loss Self-Management and Hearing Aid Benefit and Satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Convery ◽  
Gitte Keidser ◽  
Louise Hickson ◽  
Carly Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Hearing Aid Benefit ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Hearing loss self-management refers to the knowledge and skills people use to manage the effects of hearing loss on all aspects of their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Method Thirty-seven adults with hearing loss, all of whom were current users of bilateral hearing aids, participated in this observational study. The participants completed self-report inventories probing their hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between individual domains of hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Results Participants who reported better self-management of the effects of their hearing loss on their emotional well-being and social participation were more likely to report less aided listening difficulty in noisy and reverberant environments and greater satisfaction with the effect of their hearing aids on their self-image. Participants who reported better self-management in the areas of adhering to treatment, participating in shared decision making, accessing services and resources, attending appointments, and monitoring for changes in their hearing and functional status were more likely to report greater satisfaction with the sound quality and performance of their hearing aids. Conclusion Study findings highlight the potential for using information about a patient's hearing loss self-management in different domains as part of clinical decision making and management planning.

A Pilot Study of Early Storybook Reading With Babies With Hearing Loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 3397-3412
Author(s):  
Michelle I. Brown ◽  
David Trembath ◽  
Marleen F. Westerveld ◽  
Gail T. Gillon
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Eye Contact ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Storybook Reading ◽  
Book Selection ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Parent Child

Purpose This pilot study explored the effectiveness of an early storybook reading (ESR) intervention for parents with babies with hearing loss (HL) for improving (a) parents' book selection skills, (b) parent–child eye contact, and (c) parent–child turn-taking. Advancing research into ESR, this study examined whether the benefits from an ESR intervention reported for babies without HL were also observed in babies with HL. Method Four mother–baby dyads participated in a multiple baseline single-case experimental design across behaviors. Treatment effects for parents' book selection skills, parent–child eye contact, and parent–child turn-taking were examined using visual analysis and Tau-U analysis. Results Statistically significant increases, with large to very large effect sizes, were observed for all 4 participants for parent–child eye contact and parent–child turn-taking. Limited improvements with ceiling effects were observed for parents' book selection skills. Conclusion The findings provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of an ESR intervention for babies with HL for promoting parent–child interactions through eye contact and turn-taking.

Feasibility study of technology-enabled prevention intervention for children and families (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki Theofanopoulou ◽  
Katherine Isbister ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs ◽  
Petr Slovák
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Digital Camera ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Object A ◽  
Intervention Delivery ◽  
Parents And Children

BACKGROUND A common challenge within psychiatry and prevention science more broadly is the lack of effective, engaging, and scale-able mechanisms to deliver psycho-social interventions for children, especially beyond in-person therapeutic or school-based contexts. Although digital technology has the potential to address these issues, existing research on technology-enabled interventions for families remains limited. OBJECTIVE The aim of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of in-situ deployments of a low-cost, bespoke prototype, which has been designed to support children’s in-the-moment emotion regulation efforts. This prototype instantiates a novel intervention model that aims to address the existing limitations by delivering the intervention through an interactive object (a ‘smart toy’) sent home with the child, without any prior training necessary for either the child or their carer. This pilot study examined (i) engagement and acceptability of the device in the homes during 1 week deployments; and (ii) qualitative indicators of emotion regulation effects, as reported by parents and children. METHODS In this qualitative study, ten families (altogether 11 children aged 6-10 years) were recruited from three under-privileged communities in the UK. The RA visited participants in their homes to give children the ‘smart toy’ and conduct a semi-structured interview with at least one parent from each family. Children were given the prototype, a discovery book, and a simple digital camera to keep at home for 7-8 days, after which we interviewed each child and their parent about their experience. Thematic analysis guided the identification and organisation of common themes and patterns across the dataset. In addition, the prototypes automatically logged every interaction with the toy throughout the week-long deployments. RESULTS Across all 10 families, parents and children reported that the ‘smart toy’ was incorporated into children’s emotion regulation practices and engaged with naturally in moments children wanted to relax or calm down. Data suggests that children interacted with the toy throughout the duration of the deployment, found the experience enjoyable, and all requested to keep the toy longer. Child emotional connection to the toy—caring for its ‘well-being’—appears to have driven this strong engagement. Parents reported satisfaction with and acceptability of the toy. CONCLUSIONS This is the first known study investigation of the use of object-enabled intervention delivery to support emotion regulation in-situ. The strong engagement and qualitative indications of effects are promising – children were able to use the prototype without any training and incorporated it into their emotion regulation practices during daily challenges. Future work is needed to extend this indicative data with efficacy studies examining the psychological efficacy of the proposed intervention. More broadly, our findings suggest the potential of a technology-enabled shift in how prevention interventions are designed and delivered: empowering children and parents through ‘child-led, situated interventions’, where participants learn through actionable support directly within family life, as opposed to didactic in-person workshops and a subsequent skills application.

scholarly journals Cone-Beam CT compared to Multi-slice CT for the diagnostic analysis of conductive hearing loss, a pilot study

2016 ◽  
Vol 130 (S3) ◽  
pp. S188-S188
Author(s):  
Pieter Kemp ◽  
Jiska van Stralen ◽  
Pim de Graaf ◽  
Erwin Berkhout ◽  
Jan Wolff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Conductive Hearing Loss ◽  
Cone Beam Ct ◽  
Cone Beam ◽  
Diagnostic Analysis ◽  
Conductive Hearing
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