助聽器試戴兩週是否能增加中度之年齡相關聽力障礙患者使用助聽器的意願－臺北市社區研究

Does a Two-week Hearing Aid Trial Increase the Willingness of Patients with Moderate Age-related Hearing Loss to Acquire Hearing Aids? A Community Study in Taipei City

江純豪(Chun-Hao Chiang) ； 陳孟妤(Meng-Yu Chen) ； 黃詠耀(Yung-Yao Huang) ； 黃弘孟(Hung-Meng Huang) ； 楊宗翰(Tzong-Hann Yang)

《台灣耳鼻喉頭頸外科雜誌》 56卷2期 (2021/06) Pp. 87-93

https://doi.org/10.6286/jtohns.202106_56(2).087

摘要

背景：因年齡相關聽力障礙（age-related hearing loss）而配戴助聽器的患者比例普遍偏低。為了解與嘗試改善此一現狀，我們給予年齡相關聽力障礙患者試戴助聽器兩週，探討助聽器是否改善年齡相關聽障患者的生活狀況，並提升未來配戴助聽器的意願。方法：自2019年9月到2020年1月，在本院區接受年度健康檢查的老年人族群中，隨機進行聽力檢測，在檢測前先讓他們填寫年長者聽覺障礙量表（hearing handicap inventory for elderly-screening version）。由聽力檢測結果挑選出70名中度障礙且不具特殊補助身分的民眾，隨機分成兩組，一組讓他們試戴助聽器兩週，另一組無試戴助聽器，有試戴助聽器的組別在兩週後接受聲場檢查與再次年長者聽覺障礙量表以評估配戴助聽器的成效。6個月後，電訪此70名民眾，了解其是否佩戴助聽器。結果：在聲場檢查和年長者聽覺障礙量表評估皆顯示配戴助聽器有明顯改善，但在6個月後的電訪，發現有試戴助聽器組和無試戴助聽器組，在未來是否配戴助聽器上沒有差別。結論：藉由試戴助聽器，確實能讓中度聽力障礙民眾日常生活不便獲得改善，但在本研究中無法證實能提升未來配戴助聽器之意願。

關鍵字

age-related hearing loss ； community-based study ； hearing aids ； hearing handicap inventory for elderly-screening version ； presbycusis（年齡相關聽力障礙 ； 社區實驗 ； 助聽器 ； 年長者聽覺障礙量表 ； 老年失聰）

並列摘要

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the low acceptance rate of individuals with age-related hearing loss by providing hearing aids for 2 weeks to explore whether this service can improve their hearing in subjective and objective measurements and their interest in acquiring hearing aids within 6 months. METHODS: Elderly people who visited our hospital for hearing tests during their annual health checkups from September 2019 to January 2020 were randomly recruited. The hearing handicap inventory for the elderly screening version (HHIE-S) was used to investigate the distress caused by hearing impairment. In total, 70 participants with moderate hearing loss who were ineligible to receive government subsidies for hearing aids were recruited and randomly allocated into two groups. In one group, hearing aids were fitted for 2 weeks for free, whereas the other group was not provided with hearing aids. Sound field testing was performed after the 2-week intervention, and HHIE-S was rechecked for those fitted with hearing aids. After 6 months, all study participants were interviewed via phone to determine whether they had acquired hearing aids or not. RESULTS: The sound field examination and HHIE-S scores significantly improved after hearing aid fitting. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the rates of acquiring hearing aids between the two groups after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Providing hearing aids for 2 weeks for free improved the daily inconvenience of people with moderate hearing impairment. However, the acquisition rate of hearing aids after 6 months did not demonstrate a difference in this study.

並列關鍵字

age-related hearing loss ； community-based study ； hearing aids ； hearing handicap inventory for elderly-screening version ； presbycusis