Biomaterial Database

Insertion gain versus median ear corrected coupler gain: a comparison of two fitting methods in new NHS hearing aid users. 1998

R G Harrowven

Audiology Department, University Hospital Lewisham, London.

Although hearing aid fitting by insertion gain measurement is known to be an accurate and reliable technique, it is rarely used routinely in the UK National Health Service (NHS) because of high demands on staff and time. This study investigated whether an alternative, more practical procedure of fitting by median ear corrected coupler measurements would be as beneficial to NHS patients. Forty patients took part in a double-blind cross-over study comparing the two fitting methods. Results show that the insertion gain fittings were significantly better than the coupler fittings in terms of both patient preference and speech discrimination in noise. It is concluded that, even with the limited response adjustments available, individual deviations from the median ear make routine hearing aid fitting by insertion gain measurement indeed desirable in the NHS.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D004311	Double-Blind Method	A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment.	Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D006310	Hearing Aids	Wearable sound-amplifying devices that are intended to compensate for impaired hearing. These generic devices include air-conduction hearing aids and bone-conduction hearing aids. (UMDNS, 1999)	Ear Molds, Hearing Aid,Aid, Hearing,Aids, Hearing,Hearing Aid
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000369	Aged, 80 and over	Persons 80 years of age and older.	Oldest Old
D017755	Prosthesis Fitting	The fitting and adjusting of artificial parts of the body. (From Stedman's, 26th ed)	Prosthesis Adjustment,Adjustment, Prosthesis,Adjustments, Prosthesis,Fitting, Prosthesis,Fittings, Prosthesis,Prosthesis Adjustments,Prosthesis Fittings
D018592	Cross-Over Studies	Studies comparing two or more treatments or interventions in which the subjects or patients, upon completion of the course of one treatment, are switched to another. In the case of two treatments, A and B, half the subjects are randomly allocated to receive these in the order A, B and half to receive them in the order B, A. A criticism of this design is that effects of the first treatment may carry over into the period when the second is given. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	Cross-Over Design,Cross-Over Trials,Crossover Design,Crossover Studies,Crossover Trials,Cross Over Design,Cross Over Studies,Cross Over Trials,Cross-Over Designs,Cross-Over Study,Crossover Designs,Crossover Study,Design, Cross-Over,Design, Crossover,Designs, Cross-Over,Designs, Crossover,Studies, Cross-Over,Studies, Crossover,Study, Cross-Over,Study, Crossover,Trial, Cross-Over,Trial, Crossover,Trials, Cross-Over,Trials, Crossover