Detecting components of hearing aid fitting using a self-assessment-inventory.

The evaluation of hearing-aid fitting includes numerous assessments such as electro- and psychoacoustic tests. The subjective estimation of the hearing aid user can be elicited with self-assessment inventories encompassing various parameters, e.g.

Modeling relationships between various domains of hearing aid provision.

Various inventories have been developed to quantify the success of hearing aid provision. Though numerous parameters including initial measures (hearing disability, handicap) or 'outcome measures' (e.g.

Identifying the needs of elderly, hearing-impaired persons: the importance and utility of hearing aid attributes.

Older patients represent the majority of hearing-aid users. The needs of elderly, hearing-impaired subjects are not entirely identified. The present study aims to determine the importance of fundamental hearing-aid attributes and to elicit the utility of associated hypothetical hearing aids for older patients.

Determining the importance of fundamental hearing aid attributes.

Objective: To determine the importance of fundamental hearing aid attributes and to elicit measures of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Study Design: A prospective study based on a survey using a decompositional approach of preference measurement (conjoint analysis).

Setting: Ear, nose, and throat university hospitals in Cologne and Giessen; various branches of hearing aid dispensers.