title: The use and benefit of in-the-ear hearing aids. A four-year follow-up examination.
abstract: The present investigation was performed in order to evaluate the use and benefit of in-the-ear hearing aids (ITE-HAs) after a 4-year observation period, and to examine the validity of this type of hearing aid. A sample of 537 subjects still in possession of ITE-HAs, fitted in 1985, responded to a postal questionnaire in 1989, including questions identical to the first follow-up in 1985. The 537 persons correspond to 60% of the originally fitted sample of 894 subjects. The investigation indicated that no change in the use of or benefit from ITE-HAs has taken place during a 4-year period, and in addition the manipulative skills of the hearing aid users did not improve. However, the overall frequency of handling problems is low, though with a tendency to increase in the age group above 75 years. It is concluded that the use of and benefit obtained with ITE-HAs remains unchanged over a 4-year period; that the use and benefit is similar in the age groups below and above 75 years of age; that the ITE-HAs seem to be fairly stable during a 4-year period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henrichsen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noring
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lindemann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parving
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires