Applying the Use of Motivational Tools to Auditory Rehabilitation

Applying the Use of Motivational Tools to Auditory Rehabilitation

The purpose of this study is to compare two different ways of helping first-time hearing-aid users get the most out of their hearing aids and determine if one method is better than the other. One method provides the patient with routine information regarding the care and use of hearing aids the other method uses tools to address patient-specific barriers against and motivators for hearing-aid use.

Inclusion Criteria:

• be aged between 20 and 89 years
• be a first-time hearing-aid user
• air-conduction pure-tone averages (mean thresholds at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz) of 70 dB HL or less in both ears
• word-recognition scores of 40% or better in each ear
• English as their first language
• have sufficient vision and reading ability
• have the appropriate cognitive skills to participate in the study as determined by the Mini Mental State Exam, 2nd Edition - Brief Version (Folstein et al., 2010)
• have been fit by the VA Portland Health Care System Audiology and Speech Pathology Service (ASPS) with two hearing aids which have datalogging capabilities
• be independent in their completion of activities in daily living, as determined by their score on the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz et al., 1970)
• have poor adoption of their hearing aids
• be free of a documented diagnosis in the VA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) record of neurological or psychological disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, or uncontrolled substance abuse, which would interfere with the completion of the study. Vulnerable populations are not being studied.

Exclusion Criteria:

Failure to satisfy any of the requirements listed as inclusion criteria