1. Evaluation of the Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ).
- Author
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Billinger-Finke, M., Bräcker, T., Weber, A., and Batsoulis, C.
- Subjects
CONFERENCES & conventions ,COCHLEAR implants ,PATIENT satisfaction ,RESEARCH methodology evaluation - Abstract
Hearing implants such as cochlear implants, middle ear implants, and bone conduction devices amplify or restore hearing in individuals with hearing loss. In recent years patient-reported outcomes, especially subjective benefit on quality of life and quality of hearing, have gained increased attention in hearing research. While generic and hearing-specific questionnaires on quality of life have been widely used, a reliable and validated questionnaire on user satisfaction with their audio processors has been lacking for hearing implants. To validly and reliably evaluate user satisfaction with everyday use of their external device, MED-EL developed the Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ). This questionnaire consists of 15 items answerable on a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (no satisfaction) to 10 (very high satisfaction). Principal component analysis had shown that these 15 items can be allocated to one of three subscales: Wearing Comfort, Usability, and Social Life. The aim of present study is to investigate the test-retest reliability and validity of the questionnaires in 40 hearing implant users. All subjects were asked to complete the APSQ twice with a time window of 2-4 weeks in between. A preliminary analysis was performed on 36 subjects. Their median total score (8.8) showed a high level of satisfaction. The median scores for the three subscales also showed high levels of satisfaction: Wearing Comfort (8.3), Usability (9.0), and Social Life (8.4). The test-retest reliability will be calculated when the study is closed. According to the preliminary results, subjects are highly satisfied with their audio processor. In general, the APSQ also allows user satisfaction to be compared across different processor types and/or generations. Abstracts • 57--386 114 © Journal of Hearing Science® · 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018