Improving Access and Affordability of Adult Hearing Healthcare
Last updated on July 2021Recruitment
- Recruitment Status
- Recruiting
- Estimated Enrollment
- Same as current
Summary
- Conditions
- Hearing Loss
- Type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Design
- Allocation: RandomizedIntervention Model: Crossover AssignmentIntervention Model Description: Prior to the hearing evaluation, participants will be randomly placed in one of three groups. The three groups include those who will receive the current best practices care from an audiologist (ABP), those who will receive the ABP plus an aural rehabilitation program (ABP+AR), and finally, those who will receive only an OTC PSAP without assistance from an audiologist for providing programming, maintenance or care information (OTC-only). The AR programming will be provided by trained Community Health Advisors (CHAs). Both the ABP and OTC-only groups initially will attend general health information sessions in-place of the AR program. Once the ABP+AR groups have completed their AR sessions, the ABP and the OTC-only groups will attend the AR programming sessions. By using this service-delivery model, it will be possible to analyze the effectiveness of the AR programming, separate from any benefits that might occur simply by meeting with others in a group setting.Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)Masking Description: Participant randomization will occur by generating three groups of random participant numbers and then assigning each participant to their designated group. Only the PI and the project manager will have access to the randomization lists. The PI will generate the randomization lists and the Project Manager will assign the participants accordingly to each group. Audiologists will be blinded to the intervention condition for participants. Specifically, two audiologists (A1 and A2) will conduct the initial hearing evaluations. A2 will perform the PSAP orientations and a third audiologist (A3) will perform the follow-up speech perception testing.Primary Purpose: Treatment
Participation Requirements
- Age
- Between 40 years and 125 years
- Gender
- Both males and females
Description
The design for this study is outlined below according to each Aim. Aim 1: To identify the effectiveness of personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) for decreasing hearing handicap and improving speech perception in adults with no access to hearing health care. Aim 2: To implement an adult aural...
The design for this study is outlined below according to each Aim. Aim 1: To identify the effectiveness of personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) for decreasing hearing handicap and improving speech perception in adults with no access to hearing health care. Aim 2: To implement an adult aural rehabilitation (AR) program for those without access to hearing health care to improve PSAP benefit, promote PSAP use and lead to increased quality of life (QOL). Aim 1 will assess the effectiveness of over-the-counter (OTC) PSAPs for our participant population and Aim 2 will implement an AR program. With Aim 1, hearing loss will be assessed and a PSAP will be provided. Prior to the hearing evaluation, participants will be randomly placed in one of three groups to assess the effectiveness of the AR program (Aim 2). The three groups include those who will receive the current best practices care from an audiologist (ABP), those who will receive the ABP plus an aural rehabilitation program (ABP+AR), and finally, those who will receive only an OTC PSAP without assistance from an audiologist for providing programming, maintenance or care information (OTC-only). Both the ABP and OTC-only groups initially will attend general health information sessions in-place of the AR program. Local health care providers who have training in general health areas such as nutrition, diabetes, obesity, and heart health to name a few, will provide the General Health and Wellness programming. Once the ABP+AR groups have completed their AR sessions, the ABP and the OTC-only groups will attend the AR programming sessions. This testing layout and schedule is provided in the table below. Randomization will occur for each county visited and for the participants. Specifically, five counties will each receive a code and these codes will be randomized to determine when the study will take place in that area. All five regions will be included over a one-year period. Participant randomization will occur by generating three groups of random participant numbers and then assigning each participant to their designated group. Only the PI and the project manager will have access to the randomization lists. The PI will generate the randomization lists and the Project Manager will assign the participants accordingly to each group. The randomization lists will be kept on a password-protected computer and only accessible by the PI or Project Manager. Audiologists will be blinded to the intervention condition for participants. Specifically, two audiologists (A1 and A2) will conduct the initial hearing evaluations. A2 will perform the PSAP orientations and a third audiologist (A3) will perform the follow-up speech perception testing in weeks 8 - 9. Speech testing will occur before a second real ear session and PSAP adjustments are made to individual devices. Finally, the second post-speech perception testing for all participants in week 14 will be conducted by A1. The entire program will take place over a 14-week period for one county at a time. County 1 will begin at Week 1 and the remaining four regions will be stratified such that testing will begin at Week 9, 10 or 11 consecutively for each region. The stratification will be done to ensure that testing takes place in each area over a one-year period, and also, to avoid simultaneous testing at two sites. Finally, all participants who complete the study in years 1 and 2 will be invited back to complete speech perception testing and the AR surveys one year after they complete the study.
Tracking Information
- NCT #
- NCT04671381
- Collaborators
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Marcia J Hay-McCutcheon, PhD The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa