Factors Influencing Hearing Aid Use, Benefit and Satisfaction in Adults: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade
International Journal of Audiology
Mothemela, B., Manchaiah, V., et al. (2024).
International Journal of Audiology, 63(9), 661-674.
This systematic review investigates the audiological and non-audiological factors that influence unilateral or bilateral digital air-conduction hearing aid use, benefit, and satisfaction in adult hearing aid users, 18 years and older.
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Quantitative studies with any design published in peer-reviewed journals. Excludes unpublished studies, non-peer-reviewed publications, thesis/dissertations, animal studies, systematic reviews, qualitative studies, and studies written in a language other than English.
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Increased frequency of hearing aid use showed an association with the following audiological factors: higher self-reported speech perception abilities, higher word recognition scores, higher speech recognition thresholds, bothersome tinnitus, tympanic membrane perforation, and balance difficulties. Non-audiological factors associated with increased frequency of hearing aid use included: men living with spouses, Hispanic race, support from other people, family time, motivation, perceived and accepted need, cognition and working memory, positive attitude towards hearing loss and hearing aids, access to health insurance, education, knowledge and subjective health literacy, coping in work life, and self-reported health status.<br /><br />Decreased hearing aid use occurred when individuals experienced increased hearing aid problems and showed an association with non-Hispanic race or neurological disorders contributing to mental health. Factors that showed mixed results included biological sex, level of income, vision status, hearing aid satisfaction, hearing aid benefit, and bilateral hearing aid fittings.
Positive hearing aid benefit showed an association with better speech perception, daily hearing aid usage time, adoption of a diagnostic narrative on hearing aid fitting by hearing healthcare professionals, and hearing aid related factors. Negative determinants of hearing aid benefit included hearing loss asymmetry, auditory processing difficulties, and bothersome tinnitus. Factors that showed mixed results for hearing aid benefit included hearing loss severity, older age of the individual, biological sex, readiness to improve hearing, cognition and working memory, attitude towards hearing loss and hearing aids, and motivation.
Positive hearing aid satisfaction showed an association with the individual's hearing ability with hearing aids, speech perception ability, hearing aid candidacy, hearing aid fitting, hearing aid style, device price, performance and features, adoption of a diagnostic narrative on hearing aid fitting by hearing healthcare professionals, daily hearing aid use, hearing aid handling skills, regular follow-up, bilateral hearing aid fitting, biological female sex, social support, education, self-efficacy, expectations, readiness to improve hearing, cognition and working memory, attitude, motivation, confidence in the healthcare provider, and use of best practice service delivery models. Negative determinants of hearing aid satisfaction included hearing loss asymmetry, bothersome tinnitus, hearing aid problems, biological male sex, and uncomfortable hearing aids. Factors that showed mixed results for hearing aid satisfaction included hearing loss severity and older age.
