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Communication Training in Hearing Aid Users
Sponsor: University Ghent
Summary
The objective of the current research project is to investigate the effectiveness of communication training in first-time hearing aid users with mild to moderate hearing loss delivered in-person in groups or individually. In doing so, the project aims to strengthen evidence-based person-centered care for individuals with hearing loss and pave the path toward more holistic hearing healthcare. We hypothesize that participants receiving communication training will show improved hearing-related quality of life, communication strategies, and personal adjustment compared to controls. Moreover, group training is expected to yield greater benefits in communication strategies and adjustment than individual training, due to its interactive nature and peer support, leading to more positive evaluations in interviews. A pretest-posttest design will be used, with testing before and after the communication training sessions, and two experimental groups and a control group. The two experimental groups are the groups receiving in-person group and individual training. The control group does not receive the communication training nor an alternative. A mixed-method will be applied to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data include screening measures, audiological tests, and questionnaires, while the qualitative data consist of a semi-structured interview.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
45 Years - 80 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
57
Start Date
2025-09-16
Completion Date
2026-07-09
Last Updated
2026-09-01
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Cognitive screening
The Dutch Montreal Cognitive Assessment will be assessed.
Audiological Assessment
1. Tympanometry 2. Otoscopy 3. Pure-tone audiometry 4. Speech audiometry in quiet and in noise
Questionnaires
5 questionnaires are included (Dutch translation): 1. The hAVICOP questionnaire to assess the hearing-related quality of life for Auditory-Visual, Cognitive and Psychosocial functioning 2. The Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (RHHI-A) 3. The Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) 4. The Hearing Attitudes in Rehabilitation Questionnaire (HARQ) 5. The International OutcomeInventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA)
Communication training
The participant will take part in two training sessions. Depending on the assigned group, this will take place individually or in a group setting. During the training, challenges commonly faced by people with hearing loss will be discussed, and strategies to communicate more effectively will be introduced.
Interview
A semi-structured one-on-one interviews will be conducted. Participants in the group and individual training will be asked about the feasibility, usability, and effectiveness of the training they attended. Participants in the control group, who did not receive training, will be asked about their expectations regarding a communication training.
Locations (1)
Ghent University Hospital
Ghent, East-Flanders, Belgium