Interactive Technology for Hearing Aid Education and Acceptance

NIDCD和NIA强烈鼓励通过临床环境中的新交付系统进行研究，以实现“可获得和负担得起的听力保健和改善的结果”。这对于快速增长的65岁以上人口来说是一个特别重要的问题。由于特殊的学习需求，再加上听力学家的“术后护理”时间不足，以及助听器制造商的说明手册明显不足，老年人更容易使用和护理不理想的助听器。我们假设，通过新的、个性化的、易于使用的技术进行有效的助听器教育/培训强化和后续护理将确保更成功的结果。在第一阶段，为了响应这一公共卫生需求，医疗技术和方法（HTM）开发并试点测试了一种新的原型产品，我们命名为TELLYHealthTM。这款创新的、互动的、以患者为中心的产品吸引了听力损失的老年患者，并将他们与听力学家“联系起来”。HTM开发了新颖的设计方法和复杂的软件，将标准电视与交互式语音响应和互联网技术相结合。为了满足老年人的教育强化需求，HTM创造性地应用了“老龄化的人为因素”和健康素养适当的内容开发方法。为期6周的试点测试证明了TELLYHealthTM的可行性。根据5分Likert量表，受试者对TELLYHealth的易用性评分为4.75，对其助听器满意度评分为4.42。助听器益处的简要描述（APHAB）和老年人听力障碍量表（HHIE）分别显示助听器益处显著改善和听力障碍减少。在第二阶段，HTM将使用第一阶段的经验教训，将原型转换成一个具有成本效益的，可扩展的TELLYHealthTM系统，提供额外的功能和教育内容的患者和听力学家的要求。第二阶段的内容将包括关于真实世界沟通策略的互动课程，以帮助所有患者从助听器中获得最大价值。此外，HTM将进行随机对照试验（RCT），以量化TELLYHealthTM对患者和听力学家的益处。随机对照试验旨在证明，与对照组相比，使用TELLYHealthTM的受试者的听力障碍将在统计学上显著减少，助听器知识、处理、使用和沟通策略的得分在统计学上显著更高，听力学家将需要更少的时间为实验组的受试者提供后续护理。在第二阶段之后，HTM将准备向全国各地的组织营销、销售和支持TELLYHealthTM。

The NIDCD and NIA have strongly encouraged research leading to “accessible and affordable hearing health care and improved outcomes” through new delivery systems in clinical settings. This is an especially significant problem for the rapidly growing 65+ population. Older adults are more prone to suboptimal hearing aid use and care because of their special learning needs, combined with insufficient time available for audiologists' “after care” and the demonstrated inadequacy of hearing aid manufacturers' instruction manuals. We have hypothesized that effective hearing aid education/training reinforcement and follow-up care via new, personalized, easy-to-use technology will ensure more successful outcomes. In Phase I, in response to this public health need, Healthcare Technologies and Methods (HTM) developed and pilot-tested a novel prototype product we named TELLYHealthTM. This innovative, interactive, patient- centered product engaged older patients with hearing loss and “connected them” with their audiologist. HTM developed novel design methods and sophisticated software that integrated standard televisions with interactive voice response and Internet technologies. To meet the educational reinforcement needs of older adults, HTM creatively applied “human factors for the aging” and health literacy-appropriate content development methods. The 6-week pilot tests demonstrated the feasibility of TELLYHealthTM. On a 5-point Likert scale, subjects rated TELLYHealth`s ease of use 4.75 and their hearing aid satisfaction 4.42. The Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) revealed a significantly improved hearing aid benefit and a reduced hearing handicap, respectively. In Phase II, HTM will use the Phase I lessons and experiences to convert the prototype into a cost-effective, scalable TELLYHealthTM system that provides the additional functionality and educational content requested by patients and audiologists. Phase II content will include interactive lessons on real-world communications strategies to help all patients derive maximum value from their hearing aids. In addition, HTM will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to quantify the benefits of TELLYHealthTM to patients and audiologists. The RCT aims to demonstrate that subjects using TELLYHealthTM will achieve statistically significant reductions in hearing handicap, and statistically significant higher scores in hearing aid knowledge, handling, use and communications strategies than those in the control group and that the audiologist will require less time to provide aftercare to subjects in the experimental group. Following Phase II, HTM will be prepared to market, sell and support TELLYHealthTM to organizations nationwide.