Evaluation of satisfaction measures of analog and digital hearing aid users.

AIM

The objective of this study was to investigate the satisfaction measure of analog and digital hearing aid users.

STUDY DESIGN

Clinical with transversal cohort.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Among the 40 interviewed subjects, 20 were analog hearing aid users (Group I) and 20 were digital hearing aid users (Group II). The subjects had mild to moderate sensorineural hearing impairment, and were aged 45 to 95 years old.

RESULTS

The inventory of self-assessment completed by the hearing aid users was the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA--Portuguese version) proposed by Cox et al. (2002). The users of Group II used the hearing aid longer every day than the analog hearing aid users (Group I). The users of Group II have fewer difficulties with the amplification at some situations than the users of Group I. Despite the fact that users of Group I have presented mode deficit than the users of Group II, the results agree that all the subjects reported satisfaction with their hearing aids.