Improving Access and Affordability of Adult Hearing Healthcare: Effectiveness of Community-based Interventions in West Central and South Alabama
Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Device, Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY
This project will address quality of care issues associated with hearing loss in adults who have mild-to-moderate hearing loss and who have no access to hearing healthcare. Through the use of three different interventions involving over-the-counter hearing aids, it will lead to options that will increase access and affordability of hearing healthcare for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 40
Healthy Volunteers: t
View:
• Mild-to-moderate hearing loss
• Live in West Central or South Alabama
• 40 years of age or older
Locations
United States
Alabama
The University of Alabama
RECRUITING
Tuscaloosa
Contact Information
Primary
Marcia J Hay-McCutcheon, PhD
mhaymccu@ua.edu
205-348-4572
Time Frame
Start Date: 2021-01-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-12
Participants
Target number of participants: 210
Treatments
Experimental: Audiology Best Practices plus Aural Rehabilitation (ABP+AR)
This experimental group will receive a hearing evaluation, an over-the-counter hearing aid fitting and orientation, and four-weeks of an aural rehabilitation program conducted by specially-trained community health workers. Additionally, these adults will complete pre- and post-questionnaires and speech perception testing.
Active_comparator: Audiology Best Practices (ABP)
This comparison group of adults with hearing loss will receive a hearing evaluation and over-the-counter hearing aid fitting and orientation. The aural rehabilitation program will not be provided initially. These participants will complete pre- and post-questionnaires and speech perception testing.
Active_comparator: Over-the-Counter Only (OTC-Only)
This comparison group of adults with hearing loss will receive a hearing evaluation. They will be provided with over-the-counter hearing aids but the audiologist will not assist with fitting the aids or providing an orientation. This arm mimics what would happen when a consumer privately purchases over-the-counter hearing aids. They will complete pre- and post-questionnaires and speech perception testing.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Collaborators: University of Alabama at Birmingham