A Comparison of User-adjusted and Audiologist-adjusted Hearing Amplification

A Comparison of User-adjusted and Audiologist-adjusted Hearing Amplification

Fifty adults with mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss will be fit with hearing amplification using two adjustment techniques. For the "audiologist fitting" technique, a licensed audiologist will adjust the hearing device using the standard of care procedures which include adjustment and verification of output to match prescribed targets (NAL-NL2) and subsequent fine tuning to optimize adjustments based on participant feedback. The second technique is "user-adjustment" of the device consisting of adjustment to overall level, high-frequency boost, and low-frequency cut by the participant while listening to speech. A cross-over design will be used in which half the participants are initially fit using the audiologist technique and the other half are initially fit using the user self-adjustment technique. Following a seven-day field trial, participants will return to the lab and the aids will be reset use the other technique. Participants will be blinded to the condition. During each seven-day field trial, users will have access to a volume control, Following the end of the two trials, participants will return to the lab for outcome assessment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• bilateral hearing loss with a minimum of 40 dB HL thresholds at 2000 Hz
• English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Score less than 21 on the MoCa (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
• Evidence of conductive or retrocochlear pathology