Audiological profile of first-time hearing aid users - implications for the development of a fast-track fitting protocol.

IF 1.8 3区医学 Q2 AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

International Journal of Audiology Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1080/14992027.2025.2471000

Jukka Kokkonen, Fanni Svärd, Sini Varonen, Heikki Löppönen, Aarno Dietz

{"title":"Audiological profile of first-time hearing aid users - implications for the development of a fast-track fitting protocol.","authors":"Jukka Kokkonen, Fanni Svärd, Sini Varonen, Heikki Löppönen, Aarno Dietz","doi":"10.1080/14992027.2025.2471000","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Objective: To assess the feasibility of implementing a fast-track process (single-session assess-and-fit appointment with no ENT specialist's examination) in hearing rehabilitation by investigating the accuracy of the protocol assignment applying various cut-off criteria and describing the audiometric profile of patients being evaluated for their first hearing aids.Design: Retrospective chart review.Study sample: Patients from a single institution (n = 1807, median age 75 years, IQR 67-82 years) undergoing the evaluation for their first hearing aid fitting.Results: There were no audiometric signs warranting further diagnostic evaluation in 1259 subjects (69.7%). These subjects could be identified using a single criterion: the average threshold difference between the ears in the frequencies from 0.5 to 4 kHz less than 10 dB. Age was found to be a good predictor for the success of a single-session evaluation and fitting, with a cut-off value of 75 years. Altogether, 593 persons (32.8%) were candidates for a fast-track process. The time-saving from a single-session process was estimated to be 1.0%.Conclusions: It is feasible to have a fast-track hearing aid fitting protocol. Patients can be preselected with excellent accuracy using a single audiometric criterion and an age limit of 75. Time savings for a single-session process are insignificant.","PeriodicalId":13759,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Audiology","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Audiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2025.2471000","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: To assess the feasibility of implementing a fast-track process (single-session assess-and-fit appointment with no ENT specialist's examination) in hearing rehabilitation by investigating the accuracy of the protocol assignment applying various cut-off criteria and describing the audiometric profile of patients being evaluated for their first hearing aids.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Study sample: Patients from a single institution (n = 1807, median age 75 years, IQR 67-82 years) undergoing the evaluation for their first hearing aid fitting.

Results: There were no audiometric signs warranting further diagnostic evaluation in 1259 subjects (69.7%). These subjects could be identified using a single criterion: the average threshold difference between the ears in the frequencies from 0.5 to 4 kHz less than 10 dB. Age was found to be a good predictor for the success of a single-session evaluation and fitting, with a cut-off value of 75 years. Altogether, 593 persons (32.8%) were candidates for a fast-track process. The time-saving from a single-session process was estimated to be 1.0%.

Conclusions: It is feasible to have a fast-track hearing aid fitting protocol. Patients can be preselected with excellent accuracy using a single audiometric criterion and an age limit of 75. Time savings for a single-session process are insignificant.

查看原文本刊更多论文

首次助听器使用者的听力学特征-对快速配戴方案发展的影响。

目的：通过应用各种截止标准调查方案分配的准确性，并描述首次使用助听器的患者的听力测量特征，评估在听力康复中实施快速通道流程（单次评估和匹配预约，无需耳鼻喉科专家检查）的可行性。设计：回顾性图表回顾。研究样本：来自单一机构的患者（n = 1807，中位年龄75岁，IQR 67-82岁）进行首次助听器验配评估。结果：1259例（69.7%）患者无需要进一步诊断的听力体征。这些受试者可以用一个单一的标准来识别：耳朵之间的平均阈值差在0.5到4 kHz的频率小于10 dB。年龄被发现是单次评估和拟合成功的一个很好的预测因子，临界值为75岁。总共有593人（32.8%）是快速通道程序的候选人。单会话过程节省的时间估计为1.0%。结论：建立快速通道助听器验配方案是可行的。患者可以使用单一的听力标准和75岁的年龄限制，以极好的准确性进行预选。单会话进程节省的时间是微不足道的。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Journal of Audiology 医学-耳鼻喉科学

CiteScore

4.90

自引率

14.80%

发文量

133

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： International Journal of Audiology is committed to furthering development of a scientifically robust evidence base for audiology. The journal is published by the British Society of Audiology, the International Society of Audiology and the Nordic Audiological Society.