The Performance-Perceptual Test as a Counseling Tool

Hearing aid dissatisfaction continues to be disappointingly high, even though hearing aid technology has improved dramatically over the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, the results of most commonly used self-report measures cannot be directly compared with the results from performance measures since the modes of testing are very different. Thus, it is hard for clinicians to reconcile data from individuals reporting more handicap or less hearing aid satisfaction than would be expected from their performance. In this study, the investigators use a test known as the Performance-Perceptual Test (PPT) to determine whether simple counseling based upon discussion of PPT results can be used to better align perceived and measured ability to understand speech-in-noise; and, more importantly, whether such counseling can decrease reported handicap and improve hearing aid satisfaction. Hearing aid users complete the PPT for aided and unaided listening, along with standardized questionnaires measuring reported auditory disability, handicap and hearing aid satisfaction. Following this, subjects are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects in Group 1 receive counseling from the experimenter in the form of an explanation and discussion of their PPT results. Subjects in Group 2 also participate in a discussion with the experimenter, but it does not include an explanation of the PPT. Two weeks after enrollment in the study subjects complete a second set of questionnaires. Ten weeks after study enrollment subjects return to the laboratory to rerun the test battery. The impact of the counseling upon PPT values, reported handicap and hearing aid satisfaction and benefit will be compared across the two groups.