Elizabeth Convery|Gitte Keidser|Lisa Hartley|Andrea Caposecco|Louise Hickson|Carly Meyer
Management of Hearing Aid Assembly by Urban-Dwelling Hearing-Impaired Adults in a Developed Country
National Acoustic Laboratories|National Acoustic Laboratories|National Acoustic Laboratories|University of Queensland|University of Queensland|University of Queensland
selffitting hearing aid designed assembled programmed without audiological computer support could bring amplification millions people developing countries remain unaided due lack local professional audiological infrastructure ability assemble insert hearing aid fundamental successful use selffitting device study management tasks investigated eighty older urbandwelling hearingimpaired adults developed country asked follow set written illustrated instructions assemble two slimfit behindtheear hearing aids participants allowed access assistance task accompanying partner range personal audiometric variables measured use structured questionnaires standardized tests health literacy cognitive function manual dexterity results showed 99 participants able complete hearing aid assembly task either assistance health literacy ability read understand healthrelated text gender strongly influenced participants ability complete assembly task independently accurately higher levels health literacy associated increased likelihood independent successful task completion male participants likely complete task female participants likely assemble device without errors results study inform future work regarding development educational material selffitting hearing aid well candidacy device