title: Measurement of hearing aid outcome in the elderly: comparison between young and old elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate speech performance and subjective outcomes for older individuals who have hearing impairment and use digital hearing aids. The outcomes between young and old elderly users were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine patients with hearing loss fitted with digital hearing aids were included. They were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 32 subjects aged 65 to 80 years, whereas group B had 27 subjects older than 80 years. Speech performance and subjective outcomes were measured 4 months after fitting of hearing aids. Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening Version (HHIE-S), Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI), satisfaction, and usage questionnaires were used as subjective assessments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvements in speech performance were not significantly different between these two groups. There were no statistical differences in terms of HHIE-S score reduction, satisfaction rate, daily usage time, and COSI scores between both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age by itself is not a limiting factor for older patients with hearing impairment to benefit from digital hearing aids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Hsiu
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsueh-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Ting-Kuang
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Chuan-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Tien-Chen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome