A Smartphone App to Facilitate Remote Patient-Provider Communication in Hearing Health Care: Usability and Effect on Hearing Aid Outcomes
A Smartphone App to Facilitate Remote Patient-Provider Communication in Hearing Health Care: Usability and Effect on Hearing Aid Outcomes
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DOI：
10.1089/tmj.2019.0109
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发表时间：
2019-08-21
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Groth, Jennifer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Convery, Elizabeth;Keidser, Gitte;Groth, Jennifer
背景资料：患者通常需要与听力保健提供者进行多次微调预约，以获得满意的助听器效果。智能手机应用程序使患者能够远程请求和接收新的助听器设置，可以提高听力保健的可及性和效率。简介：我们评估了ReSound Assist（助听器应用程序的远程通信功能）的可用性，并调查了助听器结果是否受到基于应用程序与面对面患者-提供者沟通的影响。材料和方法：30名成年人双侧佩戴助听器，并随机分为干预组和对照组。在为期6周的现场试验中，参与者通过ReSound Assist（干预）或计划的面对面随访（对照）报告助听器问题。通过问卷调查和访谈评估ReSound Assist的可用性。比较两组的助听器性能、受益、满意度和日常使用情况。结果：ReSound Assist被评为高度可用。与会者确定了可以改进的效力和效率的具体方面。干预组和对照组参与者报告了类似的问题，无论沟通模式如何（基于应用程序还是面对面）。然而，通过ReSound Assist收到的几乎一半的请求都是需要提供者提供建议或对助听器进行物理修改而不是微调的问题，这突出了面对面听力保健的持续重要性。干预组和对照组的助听效果没有显著差异。结论：支持远程患者-提供者通信的应用程序是助听器用户寻求和接受助听器问题帮助的可行方法，这些问题可以通过微调来解决。
Background: Patients often need multiple fine-tuning appointments with their hearing health care provider to achieve satisfactory hearing aid outcomes. A smartphone app that enables patients to remotely request and receive new hearing aid settings could improve hearing health care access and efficiency. Introduction: We assessed the usability of ReSound Assist, the remote communication feature of a hearing aid app, and investigated whether hearing aid outcomes are influenced by app-based versus in-person patient-provider communication. Materials and Methods: Thirty adults were fit bilaterally with hearing aids and randomized to intervention and control groups. During a 6-week field trial, participants reported hearing aid problems via ReSound Assist (intervention) or at a scheduled face-to-face follow-up appointment (control). Usability of ReSound Assist was assessed with a questionnaire and interview. Hearing aid performance, benefit, satisfaction, and daily usage were compared for both groups. Results: ReSound Assist was rated as highly usable. Participants identified specific aspects of effectiveness and efficiency that could be improved. Similar problems were reported by intervention and control participants regardless of communication mode (app-based vs. in-person). However, almost half the requests received via ReSound Assist were for problems that required advice from the provider or physical modifications to the hearing aids rather than fine-tuning, highlighting the continued importance of in-person hearing health care. There was no significant difference in hearing aid outcomes between intervention and control participants. Conclusions: Apps enabling remote patient-provider communication are a viable method for hearing aid users to seek and receive help with hearing aid problems that can be addressed through fine-tuning.