Convery Elizabeth, Keidser Gitte, Hartley Lisa, Caposecco Andrea, Hickson Louise, Meyer Carly
National Acoustic Laboratories, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Trends Amplif. 2011 Dec;15(4):196-208. doi: 10.1177/1084713811431694. Epub 2011 Dec 26.
A self-fitting hearing aid, designed to be assembled and programmed without audiological or computer support, could bring amplification to millions of people in developing countries, who remain unaided due to the lack of a local, professional, audiological infrastructure. The ability to assemble and insert a hearing aid is fundamental to the successful use of a self-fitting device. In this study, the management of such tasks was investigated. Eighty older, urban-dwelling, hearing-impaired adults in a developed country were asked to follow a set of written, illustrated instructions to assemble two slim-fit behind-the-ear hearing aids. Participants were allowed to access assistance with the task from an accompanying partner. A range of personal and audiometric variables was measured through the use of structured questionnaires and standardized tests of health literacy, cognitive function, and manual dexterity. The results showed that 99% of participants were able to complete the hearing aid assembly task, either on their own or with assistance. Health literacy, or the ability to read and understand health-related text, and gender most strongly influenced participants' ability to complete the assembly task independently and accurately. Higher levels of health literacy were associated with an increased likelihood of independent and successful task completion. Male participants were more likely to complete the task on their own, while female participants were more likely to assemble the device without errors. The results of this study will inform future work regarding development of educational material for the self-fitting hearing aid as well as candidacy for such a device.
一种无需听力专家或计算机支持即可自行组装和编程的助听器，可为发展中国家数百万因缺乏当地专业听力基础设施而得不到帮助的人带来听力放大功能。自行组装并佩戴助听器的能力是成功使用自行适配设备的基础。在本研究中，对这类任务的操作情况进行了调查。在一个发达国家，80名居住在城市的老年听力受损成年人被要求按照一套配有插图的书面说明，组装两台超小型耳背式助听器。参与者可以在任务中接受陪同人员的帮助。通过使用结构化问卷以及健康素养、认知功能和手部灵活性的标准化测试，测量了一系列个人和听力变量。结果显示，99%的参与者能够独自或在他人帮助下完成助听器组装任务。健康素养，即阅读和理解与健康相关文本的能力，以及性别对参与者独立、准确完成组装任务的能力影响最大。较高的健康素养与独立且成功完成任务的可能性增加相关。男性参与者更有可能独自完成任务，而女性参与者更有可能无差错地组装设备。本研究结果将为未来有关自行适配助听器教育材料的开发以及此类设备适用人群的研究提供参考。
