1. Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aid Fitting in Clinical Practice.
- Author
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Tadashi Nishimura, Hiroshi Hosoi, Tomoko Sugiuchi, Nozomu Matsumoto, Takanori Nishiyama, Takano Kenichi, Satofumi Sugimoto, Hiroaki Yazama, Takeshi Sato, and Masahiro Komori
- Subjects
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HEARING disorder diagnosis , *CARTILAGE physiology , *TREATMENT of hearing disorders , *EAR physiology , *HEARING aid fitting , *AUDITORY perception testing , *STATISTICS , *ACADEMIC medical centers , *ANALYSIS of variance , *PROFESSIONS , *BONE conduction , *HEARING aids , *AUTOMATIC speech recognition , *COMPARATIVE studies , *SURVEYS , *HEALTH literacy , *INTELLECT , *HEARING disorders , *SIGNAL processing , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *CHI-squared test , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICAL correlation , *PHYSICIAN practice patterns , *DATA analysis , *DATA analysis software , *SYMPTOMS - Abstract
Background Cartilage conduction hearing aids (CCHAs) were newly devised and spread fast in Japan since their launch in 2017. However, little knowledge is available for this new device. Purpose The aim of this study was to establish the knowledge of CCHAs and suggest their indication. Research Design Correlational study. Study Sample A total 256 patients were registered. Data Collection and Analysis The fitting of CCHAs was surveyed in nine institutions. The outcomes were assessed by audiometric tests. The patients were classified into seven groups, depending on the ear conditions. The clinical characteristics, assessment results, and purchase rates were compared among the groups. The assessment results of CCHAs were also compared with those of previously used hearing aids. Results Most patients who used CCHAs were classified into the bilateral closed (aural atresia or severe stenosis) ear (n=65) or unilateral closed ear (n=124) groups. The patients in these groups achieved good benefits that resulted in a high purchase rate. The bilateral continuous otorrhea group also supported a high purchase rate, although the benefits of CCHAs were not always excellent. In contrast, the purchase rate was poor in the patients who could use air conduction hearing aids (ACHAs) without absolute problems. As for using a CCHA as a contralateral routing of signals hearing aid, the benefits depended on the patients. Conclusions CCHAs are considered as a great option not only to the patients with closed ears but also to those who had difficulties in ACHAs usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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