Georg Kastellis1, Helmut Schaaf2, Gerhard Hesse2,3. 1. Tinnitus Klinik am Krankenhaus Bad Arolsen, Grosse Allee 50, 34454, Bad Arolsen, Deutschland. gkastellis@tinnitus-klinik.net. 2. Tinnitus Klinik am Krankenhaus Bad Arolsen, Grosse Allee 50, 34454, Bad Arolsen, Deutschland. 3. Universität Witten-Herdecke, Witten, Deutschland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients suffering from tinnitus require individualized clarification (counseling), sometimes going beyond the scope of the field of ENT and the initiation of specific interventions. AIM: To investigate if patients who had a specific neurotological assessment including a psychosomatic medical history follow the recommendations provided to them. In addition, it should be examined whether compliance with the treatment suggestions has led to any psychological improvement in the suffering from tinnitus, evaluated by psychological tests. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In295 out of 699 patients audiological tests were evaluated using the mini-questionnaire (TF 12) according to Hiller and Goebel and the German language version of the Hospitality Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at 2 points in time with an interval of a least 6 months. The group of those who followed the recommendations were compared to the group of those who did not follow the recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients (64.5%) followed at least 1 of the recommendations made to them. Patients who followed at least one recommendation benefited significantly more than the whole group in the TF 12 and in both HADS categories compared to the group that did not follow the recommendations. CONCLUSION: In addition to counseling it was shown that the implementation of a specific measure has a positive effect, detectable for the Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). Specific for ENT, a hearing aid can initiate an improvement even if no statistically significant difference to the comparison group was found.
BACKGROUND: Patients suffering from tinnitus require individualized clarification (counseling), sometimes going beyond the scope of the field of ENT and the initiation of specific interventions. AIM: To investigate if patients who had a specific neurotological assessment including a psychosomatic medical history follow the recommendations provided to them. In addition, it should be examined whether compliance with the treatment suggestions has led to any psychological improvement in the suffering from tinnitus, evaluated by psychological tests. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In295 out of 699 patients audiological tests were evaluated using the mini-questionnaire (TF 12) according to Hiller and Goebel and the German language version of the Hospitality Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at 2 points in time with an interval of a least 6 months. The group of those who followed the recommendations were compared to the group of those who did not follow the recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients (64.5%) followed at least 1 of the recommendations made to them. Patients who followed at least one recommendation benefited significantly more than the whole group in the TF 12 and in both HADS categories compared to the group that did not follow the recommendations. CONCLUSION: In addition to counseling it was shown that the implementation of a specific measure has a positive effect, detectable for the Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). Specific for ENT, a hearing aid can initiate an improvement even if no statistically significant difference to the comparison group was found.