Open AccessPilot Comparison of Adjustment Protocols of Personal Sound Amplification Products
Author(s) -
Nicholas Reed,
Antoinette Oliver,
Nirmal Kumar Srinivasan,
Frank R. Lin,
Peggy Korczak
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
seminars in hearing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1098-8955
pISSN - 0734-0451
DOI - 10.1055/s-0038-1676781
Subject(s) - audiologist , hearing aid , audiology , contrast (vision) , hearing loss , noise (video) , computer science , psychology , medicine , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 was signed into law in August 2017 and facilitates the introduction of direct-to-consumer sales of hearing aids for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Among many questions surrounding over-the-counter sales is the ability of users to self-fit amplification. Many studies have conducted self-fitting procedures using guidance materials provided by audiologists. In this pilot, we explore the ability of users to self-adjust personal sound amplification devices using only materials provided by the manufacturer and contrast this with models that involve a hearing professional. Outcomes to assess adjustments included clinic-based speech-in-noise measures and ability to approximate NAL-NL2 prescriptive targets. We found that an audiologist-driven model provided the best outcomes. However, it is unknown if the difference is clinically meaningful.