Self-perceived and audiometric evaluations of hearing aid benefit in the elderly.

This study was designed to monitor benefit received from the use of amplification by 58 elderly new hearing users. The longitudinal study assessed changes in self-perceived handicap and audiometric measures by analyzing data at prefitting and at 3-wk, 3-mo, 6-mo, and 1-yr postfitting intervals. Measurement tools included the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), functional gain (500 through 4000 Hz), and speech recognition measures in quiet and in noise. Results indicated a significant decrease in perceived handicap after 3 wk of hearing aid use. After 3 mo, perceived handicap increased significantly before leveling off at 6 mo and 1 yr. Audiometric measures remained constant throughout the period under investigation. Benefit as defined using functional gain data was unrelated to benefit as defined using self-report data.