Time Matters: Possible Predictors of the Number of Appointments During the First Year After Hearing Aid Fitting.

Abstract

Purpose: Follow-up care after hearing aid fitting is recommended, yet clinicians lack data on the expected number of follow-up appointments needed and which patients require more support. This study aimed to characterize follow-up service utilization during the first year after hearing aid fitting and to determine whether patient, device, or cost-related factors may predict the number of follow-up appointments.

Method: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 223 adult patients who received hearing aids at a university-affiliated audiology clinic between May 2022 and April 2023. Demographic, audiological, device-specific, and cost-related data were extracted. The number of follow-up appointments over 1 year was used as the primary outcome. Negative binomial regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of follow-up service utilization.

Results: Patients attended an average of 4.1 follow-up appointments (range: 1-16), with most attending three to five visits. No significant effects were observed for gender, degree of hearing loss, or language. Effects of age and prior hearing aid experience were identified with older patients and those with over 10 years of prior hearing aid use attending more appointments. Device factors, including dispensing of accessories and dispensing of standard-level technology, were associated with increased follow-up utilization. Patients with higher out-of-pocket (OOP) costs or no insurance coverage attended more appointments, though cost and technology level exhibited interdependencies.

Conclusions: Overall, most adult hearing aid patients attended approximately three to five appointments over the first year, and most demographic and audiometric factors did not predict follow-up appointment attendance. However, on average, patients with higher OOP costs and those with an accessory attended more appointments. Clinicians can use these data to provide evidence-based counseling to patients and to inform clinical decision making.