Clinical Research Directory

Communication Training in Hearing Aid Users

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.

Optimizing Elderly Hearing Loss Care in Hong Kong A Cost-Effectiveness and Satisfactory Analysis of a Pilot Collaborative Model Between Otorhinolaryngologists and Family Medicine Specialists

This study will evaluate a new collaborative elderly hearing-loss service in Hong Kong. The service is based in Family Medicine (FM) and supported by Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist nurses and audiology services. It aims to provide earlier hearing assessment, counselling, hearing-aid referral or fitting where appropriate, and referral to ENT specialists when more complex ear problems are suspected. The study will compare this new service with the existing ENT elderly hearing clinic. About 500 adults aged 65 years or above with progressive hearing loss will be enrolled. Researchers will compare the time to hearing assessment and hearing-related abilities and quality of life score, satisfactory score related to the care in the FM and ENT cohort, compliance to hearing aids, and referral to ENT services. The findings may help determine whether the new service is safe, cost-effective and improves access to hearing care.

Hearing Healthcare Assessment in Rural Communities

Adult hearing loss in is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States. Adults living in rural areas face a higher risk of experiencing hearing loss, and more difficulty receiving testing and treatment than adults in urban settings. The goal of this clinical trial is to develop and test a community-based hearing healthcare patient navigation program in rural Kentucky. The main question this study aims to answer is: -Can the number of rural adults receiving diagnostic hearing tests be increased?

Benefits of Choir for Older Adults With Unaddressed Hearing Loss (WP2)

Unaddressed age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults, typified by negative consequences for speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing. There is promising evidence that group singing may enhance speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing. However, there is a lack of robust evidence, primarily due to the literature being based on small sample sizes, single site studies, and a lack of randomized controlled trials. Hence, to address these concerns, this SingWell Project study utilizes an appropriate sample size, multisite, randomized controlled trial approach, with a robust preplanned statistical analysis. The objective of the study is to explore if group singing may improve speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing for older adults with unaddressed hearing loss. The investigators designed an international, multisite, randomized controlled trial to explore the benefits of group singing for adults aged 60 years and older with unaddressed hearing loss. After undergoing an eligibility screening process and completing an information and consent form, the investigators intend to recruit 210 participants that will be randomly assigned to either group singing or an audiobook club (control group) intervention for a training period of 12-weeks. The study has multiple timepoints for testing, that are broadly categorized as macro (i.e., pre- and post-measures across the 12-weeks), or micro timepoints (i.e., pre- and post-measures across a weekly training session). Macro measures include behavioural measures of speech and music perception, and psychosocial questionnaires. Micro measures include psychosocial questionnaires and heart-rate variability. The investigators hypothesize that group singing may be effective at improving speech perception and psychosocial outcomes for older adults with unaddressed hearing loss-more so than participants in the control group.

Hearing-physical Activity Intervention

Background By 2050, approximately 2.5 billion people are expected to experience some degree of age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Greater ARHL is associated with decreased communication, reduced physical activity and social engagement, increased depressive symptoms, cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia. While previous studies highlight the benefits of combing hearing training and physical activity for older adults with ARHL, existing interventions are very limited. Additionally, the development of previous interventions often lacks end-user involvement, resulting in low adherence. Objectives This study aims to co-design a hearing-physical activity dual-task training app with older adults with ARHL, the potential end-users; to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the app using based on the theoretical framework of acceptability; and to examine its preliminary effects on improving physical activity, communication, loneliness, depressive symptoms and cognitive functions for older adults with age-related hearing loss. Hypothesis to be tested The app is feasible and acceptable to participants. Upon completing the 10-week intervention, the intervention group will report significantly greater improvements in physical activity, communication, loneliness, depressive symptoms and cognitive functions than the control group. These findings will support subsequent investigations in a larger-scale randomized controlled trial. Research Design and Methods This study consists of three phases. Phase 1: co-develop a prototype app that combines hearing and physical activity dual-task trainings, incorporating a music therapy component for older adults with ARHL. Co-design workshops will be conducted following the community-based participatory research methodology, where participants will engage in plenary and breakout sessions. Phase 2: conduct a two-arm, single-blinded, pilot randomized controlled trial. Phase 3: conduct individual semi-structured interviews immediately after the intervention. Four process evaluation outcomes will be observed, namely feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability, along with implementation barriers and facilitators. Participants will include Chinese adults aged 60 years or older, with mild-to-moderate HL with a pure-tone average of 20-50 dB across octave frequencies 0.5 to 4kHz in both ears. Main outcome measures Physical activity levels. Data analysis Descriptive statistics, an independent sample t-test or chi square test, generalized estimating equation and thematic analysis will be used. Expected results A hearing-physical activity dual-task training app prototype, available in both Cantonese and Mandarin, will be co-designed, tested and refined to a final version. Participants could benefit from incorporating tailored intervention for physical activity with auditory rehabilitation.