Assessment of e-Audiology for Providing Clinical Services and Support

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Hearing Loss, Age-Related, Presbycusis, Bilateral, Hearing Disability

In brief

Technological advances in hearing aids and telecommunications, including the widespread availability of telehealth (referred to in this proposal as "e-Audiology") applications, have the potential to expand both access and affordability of hearing aids for those with age-related hearing loss (ARHL). E-Audiology is used by clinicians in a variety of settings, including private practice, university clinics, and the Veterans Administration. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recently updated the Scope of Practice guidelines for audiology to include telehealth as "an alternative method of service delivery that en-compasses both diagnostics and intervention services.", including all aspects of hearing aid selection, fitting, and follow-up counseling and rehabilitation. However, given the paucity of evidence of comparative efficacy between office-based service delivery and e-Audiology in real-world settings, patients and relevant stakeholders are faced with a major decisional dilemma when determining which mode of service delivery would be optimal for addressing the needs, preferences, and lifestyles of those with ARHL. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the benefits, drawbacks, and patient satisfaction associated with e-Audiology delivery of hearing aid fitting, services, and supports for older adults with mild to moderate ARHL. We plan to use data collected in this pilot study for a future R01 submission to the NIH.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04048460

Run by

University of South Florida

People needed

10

Starts

2019-08-15

Expected to finish

2020-04-15

Last updated by the study team

2021-03-04

Who can join

Age: 70 and older, up to 89. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Aged 70 years or older
• Community-dwelling
• Can speak and read English fluently, assessed by self-report
• Mild to severe sloping hearing loss, as determined by a 4-frequency pure-tone average (0.5 to 4.0 kHz) of > 30 dB HL in the better ear and no greater than 90 dB at any frequency
• Cognitively intact, as determined by a Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) score of 23 or greater
• Regular access to computer, tablet, or "smart device" capable of delivering the e-Audiology platform

You may not qualify if…

• Bilateral conductive hearing loss, defined as a > 10 dB air-bone gap at 2 or more frequencies
• Corrected vision no worse than 20/63, assessed by the MN Read Acuity vision screening
• Unwillingness to use hearing aids on a daily basis, determined by self-report

Where it is running

• Auditory Rehabilitation and Clinical Trials Laboratory at the University of South Florida — Tampa, Florida, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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