Assessing daily-life benefit from hearing aid noise management: SSQ12 vs. ecological momentary assessment

Authors

  • Line Storm Andersen Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  • Klaudia Edinger Andersson Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  • Mengfan Wu Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  • Niels Pontoppidan Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
  • Lars Bramsløw Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
  • Tobias Neher Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

Abstract

In audiological research, assessing daily-life benefit from hearing aid (HA) noise management (NM) is a challenge. While ecological momentary assessment (EMA) using smartphone-connected HAs has recently emerged as a promising tool for real-life data acquisition, there is a lack of research linking this method to established ones such as the SSQ12 questionnaire. In the current study, 12 hearing-impaired participants were asked to assess two HA fittings using a well-known questionnaire and a smartphone-based EMA method combining soundscape logging with momentary self-reports. The two HA fittings differed in terms of their NM settings (no NM vs. cardioid microphones and noise reduction activated). The participants were aged 23- 75 years and had different occupations and lifestyles. The testing period for each fitting was 2 weeks. Overall, the EMA and SSQ12 scores were higher for the setting with NM activated, but this difference was only statistically significant in case of the SSQ12. The soundscape data showed that only few participants experienced noisy surroundings frequently. Future work on EMA-based HA assessment should therefore address the interplay between the tested HA features and the auditory ecology of the participants.

References

Galvez, G., Turbin, M. B., Thielman, E. J., Istvan, J. A., Andrews, J. A., and Henry, J. A. (2012). “Feasibility of ecological momentary assessment of hearing difficulties encountered by hearing aid users,” Ear. Hearing, 33, 497-507, doi: 10.1097%2FAUD.0b013e3182498c41.

Gatehouse, S., and Noble, W. (2004). “The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ),” Int. J. Audiol., 43, 85-99, doi: 10.1080/14992020400050014.

Henry, J. A., Galvez, G., Turbin, M. B., Thielman, E. J., McMillan, G. P., and Istvan, J. A. (2012). “Pilot study to evaluate ecological momentary assessment of tinnitus,” Ear. Hearing, 33, 179-290, doi: 10.1097%2FAUD.0b013e31822f6740.

Humes, L. E., Rogers, S. E., Main, A. K., and Kinney, D. L. (2018). “The acoustic environments in which older adults wear their hearing aids: Insights from datalogging sound environment classification,” Am. J. Audiol., 27, 594-603, doi: 10.1044/2018_AJA-18-0061.

Jensen, N., and Nielsen, C. (2005). “Auditory ecology in a group of experienced hearing-aid users: Can knowledge about hearing aid users’ auditory ecology improve their rehabilitation?,” Research Report, Eriksholm Research Centre.

Noble, W., Jensen, N. S., Naylor, G., Bhullar, N., and Akeroyd, M. A. (2013). “A short form of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale suitable for clinical use: The SSQ12,” Int. J. Audiol., 52, doi: 10.3109/14992027.2013.781278.

Schwarz, N. (2011). “Why researchers should think “real-time”: A cognitive rationale,” in: M. R. Mehl & T. S. Conner (eds.), Handbook of Research Methods for Studying Daily Life, New York: Guilford.

Wu, Y. H., Stangl, E., Chipara, O., Hasan, S. S., DeVries, S., and Oleson, J. (2019). “Efficacy and effectiveness of advanced hearing aid directional and noise reduction technologies for older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss,” Ear. Hearing, 40, 805-822, doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000672.
Auditory Learning in Biological and Artificial Systems

Additional Files

Published

2020-04-08

How to Cite

Andersen, L. S., Andersson, K. E., Wu, M., Pontoppidan, N., Bramsløw, L., & Neher, T. (2020). Assessing daily-life benefit from hearing aid noise management: SSQ12 vs. ecological momentary assessment. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 7, 273–280. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2019-31

Issue

Vol. 7 (2019): Auditory Learning in Biological and Artificial Systems

Section

2019/4. Novel directions in hearing-instrument technology

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

a. Authors retain copyright* and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

*From the 2017 issue onward. The Danavox Jubilee Foundation owns the copyright of all articles published in the 1969-2015 issues. However, authors are still allowed to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.