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To conduct the first phases in the development of a self-report measure of empowerment on the hearing health journey, specifically, item generation and content evaluation of the initial pool of items generated. A content expert panel survey and cognitive interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics were obtained for the quantitative data, and the cognitive interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Eleven researchers and clinicians participated in the content expert surveys. Sixteen experienced hearing aid users participated in the cognitive interviews, recruited from the USA and Australia. The items underwent five iterations based on feedback from the survey and interview data. This resulted in a set of 33 quality-tested potential survey items that were rated highly for relevance (mean = 3.96), clarity (mean = 3.70) and fit to dimensions of empowerment (mean = 3.92) (scale 0-4, where 4 was the maximum rating). Involving stakeholders in item generation and content evaluation increased relevance, clarity, fit to dimension, comprehensiveness, and acceptability of the items. This preliminary version of the 33-item measure underwent further psychometric refinement (Rasch analysis and traditional classical test theory testing) to validate it for clinical and research use (reported separately). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Related to the hearing health journey, this study aimed to: (i) explore how empowerment manifests itself from individuals' first awareness of hearing loss through to hearing aid fitting and then to becoming an active hearing aid user, (ii) identify points when the different dimensions of empowerment are most relevant, and (iii) conceptualise empowerment. A semi-structured interview study was conducted, followed by a template analysis of the data. Adult hearing aid users from Sweden (n = 8) and Australia (n = 10) who had worn hearing aids for between 6 and 36 months. The themes that emerged from the transcripts were knowledge, skills and strategies, participation, self-efficacy, and control. This study conceptualises empowerment along the hearing health journey as the process through which individuals with hearing-related challenges acquire and use knowledge, skills, and strategies, and increase self-efficacy, participation, and the feeling of control of their hearing health care, hearing solutions, and everyday lives. There are not specific points along the hearing health journey where any dimension is uniquely relevant, instead, each dimension is a dynamic component at all stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]