Influence of environmental factors on hearing aid microphone preference.

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of everyday listening situations that influence user preferences for omnidirectional versus directional hearing aid microphones. Eleven experienced hearing aid users were fitted with digital hearing aids featuring switchable omnidirectional (OMNI) and adaptive-directional (DIR) modes (programs). For 6 weeks, their task was to identify and describe at least one listening situation each day in which one program performed better than the other using a checklist daily journal format.

Performance of directional microphone hearing aids in everyday life.

This study explored the use patterns and benefits of directional microphone technology in real-world situations experienced by patients who had been fitted with switchable omnidirectional/directional hearing aids. Telephone interviews and paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used to assess perceived performance with each microphone type in a variety of listening situations. Patients who used their hearing aids regularly and switched between the two microphone configurations reported using the directional mode, on average, about one-quarter of the time.