Orientation for Hearing Aid Users: Information Retention

Introduction: The understanding and retention of orientations provided by the health professional increases patient's satisfaction and compliance to treatment and reduces treatment duration and costs. Aim: To verify how much of the orientation provided at diagnosis and hearing aid fitting are retained by new hearing aid users and analyze whether age, degree of hearing loss, academic and socio-economics status have an influence on this. Methods: Participated in this study 30 adults (18 female and 12 male) with age varying from 18 to 88 years, with post lingual uni or bilateral hearing loss of various degrees and types. Orientations were offered at the time of diagnosis and hearing aid fitting. At the first follow up visit patients were interviewed regarding their hearing loss' characteristics as well as hearing aid care and use (probed recall task). It was also evaluated how participants manipulated their devices. A protocol was used to score participant's responses. Results: on average participants could retain 31,6% and 83,6% of the orientation provided regarding their hearing loss and hearing aid care and use. There was a negative correlation between age and amount of information retained. There was no influence of degree of hearing loss, academic and socio-economic statues. Conclusion: The hearing impaired patients have difficulty to recall orientation provided therefore the use of facilitation strategies to information retained is necessary.