Renewed prescription of hearing aids: A clinically based study

We explored whether or not perceived health, subjective well-being, everyday life consequences of hearing loss, and/or use of communication strategies in experienced hearing aid users were associated with the outcome of renewed counselling, i.e. a prescription of a new hearing aid(s) (HA(s))or keeping the existing HA(s). The study included 170 subjects (84 men and 86 women) who had previously undergone HA fitting and audiological rehabilitation and at study entry had indications for a renewed rehabilitation and HA prescription. Self-report inventories assessed general health, well-being, activity limitation, participation restriction, and use of communication strategies. The outcome was studied by logistic regression. Review of medical records 18 months after the renewed counselling showed that 147 (86.5%) subjects had been fitted with new hearing aids. Gender, duration of hearing loss and previous use of one versus two aids influenced the outcome under study. Reported high degree of activity limitation a...