Hearing and quality of life in a south European BAHA population.
CONCLUSIONS
The overall results show a high ratio of satisfaction in the sample population, which is in accordance with a successful BAHA counselling and rehabilitation of their hearing impairment.


OBJECTIVE
The acceptance of a bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) device by a south European population, which could be expected to have some reticence for wearing this device, has been investigated.


METHODS
The outcome of BAHA implantation was assessed in 24 patients with bilateral and unilateral hearing loss by administration of several questionnaires, such as the Handicap Hearing Inventory (HHI), Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI), Open and General Glasgow Benefit Inventory and Entific Medical System QoL, along with a complete audiological test battery.


RESULTS
Speech reception threshold (SRT) in bilateral cases improved both in quiet and in noise. In unilateral cases, word perception and accuracy of sound localization improved when sound was presented from the back. COSI scores, at both the intermediate and the final evaluations, showed a fair adaptation level of the patients and their satisfaction for prefixed targets.
Barbara
Maurizio
M
Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs Department, Otorhinolaryngologic Unit, Sapienza University, II Medical School, Rome, Italy. maurizio.barbara@uniroma1.it
Biagini
Michela
M
Lazzarino
Antonio Ivan
AI
Monini
Simonetta
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000601:surgery*; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult