Gaeta Laura
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health and Human Services, California State University, Sacramento.
Am J Audiol. 2020 Dec 9;29(4):944-947. doi: 10.1044/2020_AJA-20-00037. Epub 2020 Oct 27.
Purpose This study aimed to explore older adults' perceptions of their hearing health during the stay-at-home order issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method A 24-item survey was completed by 150 community-dwelling older adults in the United States. Participants were asked about their self-reported hearing status, use of hearing aids and difficulty wearing masks while wearing hearing aids, relative importance of their hearing health, priority of their hearing health during the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulty communicating with masks, and utilization of telepractice services. Results The majority of participants did not wear hearing aids despite reporting that they had at least a little trouble hearing. Most participants reported that their hearing health was important and indicated that they were likely to visit their audiologist for an in-person or virtual visit during the pandemic. Conclusion Audiologists should consider telepractice or remote service delivery options during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of their patients.
目的 本研究旨在探讨在新冠疫情期间发布的居家令期间，老年人对其听力健康的认知。方法 美国150名居家社区老年人完成了一项包含24个条目的调查。参与者被问及他们自我报告的听力状况、助听器的使用情况以及佩戴助听器时戴口罩的困难程度、听力健康的相对重要性、新冠疫情期间听力健康的优先级、戴口罩时的沟通困难以及远程医疗服务的使用情况。结果 尽管大多数参与者报告称听力至少有一点问题，但他们中大多数人未佩戴助听器。大多数参与者报告称他们的听力健康很重要，并表示在疫情期间他们可能会亲自或通过虚拟方式拜访听力专家。结论 听力专家应在新冠疫情期间及之后考虑采用远程医疗或远程服务提供方式，以满足患者的需求。
