Fitting hearing aids to first-time users

• Clinical experience indicates that first-time hearing aid users prefer less gain and lower maximum output levels than experienced users. This hypothesis was tested on 20 subjects being fitted with their first aids. The study was double blinded by using a programmable hearing aid, set to either the standard setting according to the manufacturer's software or to reduced gain and maximum output. Half of the subjects started with one hearing aid and half with the other, changing to the other hearing aid after 3 days trial with each setting. At the end of the study, subjects stated preference in specified situations and overall. No significant differences in APHAB, sound quality, estimated communication ability or perceived loudness scores were seen for the two settings. Nine subjects preferred the standard setting, seven the reduced setting and four were undecided. No correlation could be found between preference and audiological variables.

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