Impact of Hearing Aid Service-delivery Model and Technology on Patient Outcomes

Study Summary

Age-related hearing loss is a big problem in the United States because many people have it and it affects their quality of life. Hearing aids can help, but not many people use them. One reason is that getting hearing aids can be expensive and difficult. People usually have to visit doctors, like audiologists, many times to get their hearing tested and have the hearing aids fitted and adjusted. This process is called the AUD service model in this study. Hearing aids come with different technologies and features, like directional microphones and noise reduction algorithms. These features can make hearing aids work better but also make them more expensive, which can be another barrier for people who need them. Recently, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids have become available. These hearing aids are cheaper and easier to get because people can buy them directly and fit them on their own without seeing a doctor. This is called the OTC service model in this study. Another service model that could be great is a "hybrid" service model, where professionals help fit the OTC hearing aids. This hybrid model can make hearing aids both affordable and high quality. Studies have shown that the OTC service model works as well as the AUD service model. Additionally, other research has found no big differences in how well high-end and low-end hearing aids work for patients. However, no one has studied the different service models and technology levels together in one study, and no one has looked at how well the hybrid service model (called the OTC+ service model in this study) works. The goal of this study is to find out how the different ways of fitting hearing aids (AUD, OTC+, and OTC) and the different technology levels (high-end and low-end) affect patient outcomes. The study will take place at two sites and will be a randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of six groups, which are combinations of the three service models and two technology

Primary Outcome

The GHABP is a questionnaire that measures hearing aid (HA) users' listening experience in four situations: TV listening, small conversation in quiet, conversation in noise, and group conversation. The GHABP will be administered using smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to collect in-situ reports. Scores from the items that evaluate patient's HA use are averaged across the four situations to form the EMA-GHABP-Use score. The score ranges from 1 (not use HA at all) to 5 (use HA

Interventions

• OTHER AUD fitting
• OTHER OTC+ fitting
• OTHER OTC fitting
• DEVICE High-end HA
• DEVICE Low-end HA