Despite being effective, the majority of people who would benefit from using hearing aids do not access them. For those who do obtain hearing aids, around 20% do not wear them regularly. People often do not use their hearing aids because they continue to experience difficulties when listening to and understanding speech in noisy situations. Conventional hearing aids must be programmed and adjusted by a trained audiologist with specialist equipment and therefore provide limited user-control over the hearing aid's functionality. In comparison to conventional hearing aids, Smartphone-connected hearing aids enable patients to adjust their programmes themselves in different situations using a Smartphone application. Smartphone-connectivity can supplement clinical practices, as patients can adjust their hearing aids without the need to visit the clinic. This has the potential to empower patients to be actively involved in their own hearing healthcare. A systematic review assessing the effectiveness of alternative listening devices showed that there is no published high-quality research assessing the clinical effectiveness of Smartphone-connected hearing aids. Furthermore, a usability research study has shown that patients want to personalise and adjust their own HA programmes to meet their individual needs. Having carried out the early development work, the next step would be to carry out a study to evaluate smartphone-connected hearing aids, in accordance with the MRC guidelines on developing and evaluating complex interventions. This study will assess the benefits of a smartphone application, eAdjust that has been developed for use with Phonak Audeo B90-Direct hearing aids. The eAdjust app connects to the hearing aid via Bluetooth, and enables hearing aid users to fine-tune their hearing aids via their smartphone. The benefits of the eAdjust app will be assessed in the real-world as well as in the laboratory. A mixed methods approach will be taken, using both behavioural and patient reported outcomes.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
46
The app connects to the Audeo B-90 Direct hearing aids via Bluetooth. The intended use for the app to enable hearing aid users to fine-tune their hearing aids. The app contains a series of sound modifiers, factory presets, sound modifier presets.
National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre
Nottingham, Non-US/Non-Canadian, United Kingdom
Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly
25-item self-reported questionnaire assessing the effects of hearing loss on the emotional and social/situational adjustment. Scored using a three-point scale.
Time frame: Change from Baseline following 7-weeks of intervention use.
Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile
Assesses self-reported hearing disability and handicap (Part I), as well as hearing aid use, benefit, residual disability and satisfaction (Part II). Each domain is measured on a five-point scale.
Time frame: Baseline (Part I) and following 7-weeks of intervention use (Part II).
Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale for Adults with Hearing Loss
A 40-item self-report measure of listening effort and fatigue. Scored using a five-point scale.
Time frame: Change from Baseline following 7-weeks of intervention use.
Device-Orientated Subjective Outcome scale
Self-report questionnaire suitable for quantifying subjective hearing aid outcomes. Scored using a seven-point response scale.
Time frame: Change from Baseline following 7-weeks of intervention use.
Glasgow Hearing Aid Difference Profile (existing hearing aid users only)
Assesses self-reported use and residual disability with 'old' hearing aids (Part I), as well as use and residual disability with 'new' hearing aids, and the difference in benefit and and satisfaction between 'old and 'new' hearing aids (Part II). Each domain is measured on a five-point scale.
Time frame: Change from Baseline following 7-weeks of intervention use.
Auditory Lifestyle and Demands Questionnaire
Self-report measure of auditory lifestyle.
Time frame: Following 1-week of intervention use.
Clarity and Comfort Questionnaire
Self-report measure of hearing aid preferences concerning sound clarity and comfort.
Time frame: Following 1-week of intervention use.
Hearing aid datalogging
Hearing aid use in hours, internal to the hearing aid.
Time frame: Following 1-week and 7-weeks of intervention use.
Montreal Cognitive Assessment
Validated screening tool for mild cognitive impairment.
Time frame: Following 1-week of intervention use.
BKB Speeh-In-Noise Test
Behavioural measure of speech intelligibility in the presence of background noise.
Time frame: Following 1-week and 7-weeks of intervention use.
eAdjust 0.2 app datalogging
Usage data, internal to the app.
Time frame: Following 2-week and 6-weeks of intervention use.
App real-world use questionnaire
Self-report questionnaire of app usage. Consists of closed- and open-ended questions.
Time frame: Following 2-week and 6-weeks of intervention use.
Hearing aid tasks
Self-report questionnaire of app functionality in different environments.
Time frame: Following 2-week and 6-weeks of intervention use.
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