Evaluation of Hearing Protection Fit Testing Program

United States Air Force

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Hearing Loss

Treatments: Other: Education only; Other: Software intervention and education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02109757

FWR20130114H

Details and patient eligibility

About

The specific aim of this research is to evaluate the performance, effectiveness, and long-term training benefits of a formal hearing protection fit testing program. This study may provide preliminary evidence on the benefits of direct education/training combined with a formal hearing protection device (HPD) fit testing on HPD fittings on United States Air Force (USAF) employees. Currently, Public Health provides informal, subjective training to employees; this practice may be altered by the results of this study.

Enrollment: 200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects must be enrolled in the hearing conservation program, and can be civilian or active duty/uniformed. Subjects must be currently using some form of in-the-ear hearing protection device on a regular basis and have ear canals free of cerumen, infection, or any other obstruction.

Exclusion criteria

• Not enrolled in the hearing conservation program. Not using in-the-ear hearing protection device on a regular basis. Ear canals containing cerumen, infection, or other obstructions.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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200 participants in 2 patient groups

Software intervention and education

Experimental group

Description:

This group will receive software intervention and education before and after receiving one-on-one education, thus showing if benefit or effect occurs simply due to having the software input before receiving education.

Treatment:

Other: Software intervention and education

Education only

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group will not receive software intervention prior to and after one-on-one education, only afterwards.

Treatment:

Other: Education only