Assessment of the ACE Program for Rehabilitation in Hearing Loss

University of Chile

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hearing Loss

Treatments: Other: Control; Behavioral: Active Communication Education Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01846676

221-2010

Details and patient eligibility

About

• Introduction: Hearing loss is a prevalent condition in elderly population. However, the low adherence to hearing aids is a fact, with an estimation of use of 50 per cent. In 2007 there was designed a rehabilitation program called ACE, which aims to improve rehabilitation directed to hearing aids users. The study hypothesis is that a counseling program will improve adherence to hearing aids in elderly population.
• Objective: To evaluate the utility of a standardized counselling program in patients with hearing loss.
• Material and Methods: A before/after trial will be carried out, approved by the Hospital ethics - committee. Patients with 65 years and older with hearing loss diagnosed by pure tone audiometry will be included. To assess adherence we will use the IOI-HA scale.

Full description

• Introduction: Hearing loss is a prevalent condition in elderly population. However, the low adherence to hearing aids is a fact, with an estimation of use of 50 per cent. In Chile, hearing aids are provided by the State for elderly population. In 2007 there was designed a rehabilitation program called Active Communication Education (ACE), that is a semistructured rehabilitation program for people with hearing loss, which aims to improve rehabilitation of hearing aids users by a strategy based on problem solution.
• The study hypothesis is that a counseling program will improve adherence to hearing aids in elderly population.
• Objective: To evaluate the utility of a standardized counseling program in patients with hearing loss.
• Material and Methods: A before/after clinical trial will be carried out, approved by the Hospital ethics - committee. Patients with 65 years and older diagnosed by pure tone audiometry who are beneficiaries of the Public GES hearing loss programme and receive a hearing aid will be included. The subjects will be randomized in two branches: Active branch, subject to the rehabilitation program; and passive branch, which was control, with usual management (no intervention). To assess adherence we will use the IOI-HA scale.

Enrollment: 180 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Bilateral hearing loss equal or higher than 40 decibels
• Age 65 years old or more
• Agree to be included in the study
• Have a relative to go to the intervention with the subject

Exclusion criteria

• Severe organic brain impairment
• Physical or mental incapacity to understand the study questionnaires
• Structural pathology of the ear that produces hearing loss as chronic otitis media, ear canal tumor, or tumor of the cerebellopontine angle

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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180 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Program counseling

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active branch, subject to the rehabilitation program

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active Communication Education Program

No counseling

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Passive branch, which was control, with usual management (no intervention).

Treatment:

Other: Control