Dynamic Assessment of Hearing Aids

描述(由申请人提供)：本第二阶段提案的重点是一种基于计算机的方法，称为助听器动态评估(DAHA)。该方法使用直观的图形界面来记录患者对其助听器各个方面的满意度的可视模拟评分(S)。每项评估的结果都可以立即提供给临床医生。助听器提供商可以从各种标准数据集和不同的报告格式中进行选择，以总结对单个患者的评估。患者会收到一份书面报告，总结助听器的突出方面，从而导致满意或不满意。这些服务可以在默认模式下使用，也可以根据个别患者或患者组的需要进行选择。该软件有英语和西班牙语两种版本。这个项目的第一阶段建立了该方法的心理测量学属性，即同时效度和重测可靠性，以及患者的可接受性。第二阶段的主要研究目标是为DAHA开发一个初步的规范数据库，并将最先进的数据库管理和数据显示工具纳入DAHA系统。第二个目标是在临床环境中对DAHA进行现场测试，以确定其对评估助听器的提供者和患者的效用。目前，通常使用问卷和访谈技术来获取患者对其助听器的意见评级。这些方法的缺点包括患者和管理和评分仪器的人都很费力，结果的延迟提供，以及与选定的亚群进行比较的困难。拟议的商业应用：在美国执业的听力专家人数约为7000人(来源：美国听力学会)，美国听力损失足以影响日常生活的人数超过2500万人。拟议项目的成功完成将满足现有的需求，为助听器的感知质量提供计算机评估，可用于各种临床和研究环境，包括助听器设计者和制造商的研发和营销。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The focus of this Phase II proposal is a computer-based method called the Dynamic Assessment of Hearing Aids (DAHA). The method uses an intuitive graphical interface to record visual analogue ratings of a patient's satisfaction with various facets of his/her hearing aid(s). The results of each assessment are immediately available to the clinician. The hearing aid provider can select from a variety of normative data sets and different report formats to summarize the assessment for a single patient. The patient receives a written report summarizing the salient aspects of their hearing aids leading to satisfaction or dissatisfaction. These are available either in a default mode or as selections to meet the needs of individual patients or groups of patients. The software is available both in English and Spanish. Phase I of this project established the method's psychometric properties of concurrent validity and test-retest reliability, as well as patient acceptability. The main research objective of Phase II is to develop an initial normative database for DAHA and to integrate state-of-the art database management and data presentation tools into the DAHA system. The secondary objective is to field test the DAHA in a clinical setting, in order to determine its utility to providers and patients who are evaluating hearing aids. At present, questionnaires and interview techniques are commonly used to obtain patient ratings of their opinions about their hearing aids. The drawbacks of these methods include laboriousness for both the patient and the person who administers and scores the instrument, delayed availability of results, and difficulties in making comparisons with selected subpopulations. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The number of audiologists practicing in the US is approximately 7000 (source: American Academy of Audiology), and the number of people in the U.S. with hearing loss sufficient to affect daily living exceeds 25 million. Successful completion of the proposed project will fulfill an existing need by providing computer assessments of the perceived quality of hearing aids that can be used in a variety of clinical and research settings, including R&D and marketing for designers and manufacturers of hearing aid devices.