Replacement of hearing aids in hearing health program

Ruschel, Nathany Lima; Bonatto, Amanda Somensi; Teixeira, Adriane Ribeiro

doi:10.1590/2317-6431-2018-2025

Brasil

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Original Article • Audiol., Commun. Res. 24 • 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-6431-2018-2025 linkcopy

Replacement of hearing aids in hearing health program

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Purpose To verify the causes and the average time of hearing aids replacement of patients of a high complexity system in hearing health in a hospital in the south of Brazil.

Methods Electronic charts of patients (children, adults and elders), who received hearing aids through the hearing health program from 2010 to 2017, were analyzed. It was verified the causes, the number, and the average time of replacement, in each of patients’ ears. Data were analyzed quantitatively using Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, with a significance level at 0.05.

Results 1.256 charts of children, adults and elders were analyzed. The main cause of replacement was due to technical failure. In children the average time of replacement was shorter than in adults and the elders. Adults and elders were the groups that needed more replacements. Children’s group was the group that needed more than one replacement.

Conclusion Technical failure was the main reason why users seek the service to perform a replacement of their devices, and the average time between adaptation and the first replacement was of approximately four years.

Keywords: Audiology; Hearing; Hearing aids; Hearing loss; Health services

Variables	n=342
Gender- n(%)
Female	170 (49.7)
Male	172 (50.3)
Age in the 1^st adaptation (years) – average ± SD	44.1 ± 27.1
Average age in the 1^st adaptation – n(%)
Children (≤11)	73 (21.3)
Adolescents (12-18)	32 (9.4)
Adults (19-59)	109 (31.9)
Elders (≥60)	128 (37.4)
Hearing aid technology 1^st adaptation Right ear – n(%)
Without adaptation	3 (0.9)
A	32 (9.4)
B	102 (29.8)
C	205 (59.9)
Hearing aid technology 1^st adaptation Left ear – n(%)
Without adaptation	3 (0.9)
A	30 (8.8)
B	105 (30.7)
C	204 (59.6)

Variable	Total sample	Children	Adolescents	Adults	Elders	Value of p
Variable	(n=342)	(n=73)	(n=32)	(n=109)	(n=128)	<0,0001
Time between adaptation and replacement (months) – average ± SD	43.1 ± 15.9	36.7 ± 15.4a	42.8 ± 14.1ab	44.8 ± 17.1b	45.3 ± 14.7b	0.001
Hearing aid technology 1^st replacement						0.51
Right Ear – n(%)
Without replacement	24 (7.0)	7 (9.6)	2 (6.3)	7 (6.4)	8 (6.3)
A	27 (7.9)	6 (8.2)	2 (6.3)	12 (11.0)	7 (5.5)
B	80 (23.4)	23 (31.5)	8 (25.0)	21 (19.3)	28 (21.9)
C	211 (61.7)	37 (50.7)	20 (62.5)	69 (63.3)	85 (66.4)
Hearing aid technology 1^st replacement						0.933
Left Ear – n(%)
Without replacement	26 (7.6)	8 (11.0)	3 (9.4)	7 (6.4)	8 (6.3)
A	29 (8.5)	7 (9.6)	2 (6.3)	11 (10.1)	9 (7.0)
B	75 (21.9)	17 (23.3)	8 (25.0)	23 (21.1)	27 (21.1)
C	212 (62.0)	41 (56.2)	19 (59.4)	68 (62.4)	84 (65.6)
Ear of the replacement – n(%)						0.92
Right	27 (7.9)	7 (9.6)	3 (9.4)	8 (7.3)	9 (7.0)
Left	23 (6.7)	7 (9.6)	2 (6,3)	7 (6.4)	7 (5.5)
Both ears	292 (85.4)	59 (80.8)	27 (84.4)	94 (86.2)	112 (87.5)
Causes of replacement RE – n(%)						0.125
Technical failure	244 (76.3)	44 (67.7)	25 (83.3)	88 (84.6)	87 (71.9)
Loss	33 (10.3)	9 (13.8)	3 (10.0)	5 (4.8)	16 (13.2)
Theft	43 (13.4)	12 (18.5)	2 (6.7)	11 (10.6)	18 (14.9)
Causes of replacement LE – n(%)						0.03
Technical failure	249 (78.1)	46 (67.6)	24 (82,8)	91 (89.2)*	88 (73.3)
Loss	31 (9.7)	10 (14,7)	2 (6.9)	4 (3,9)	15 (12,5)
Theft	39 (12,2)	12 (17,6)	3 (10,3)	7 (6.9)	17 (14,2)

Variables	Total sample	Children	Adolescents	Adults	Elders	Value for p
Variables	(n=342)	(n=73)	(n=32)	(n=109)	(n=128)	Value for p
Second replacement – n	43	17 ^* * statistically significant association (p<0,005) - Test of residuals adjusted to 5% of significance	3	16	7	0.003
Time between adaptation and second replacement (months) – average ± SD	55.7 ± 13.8	51.6 ± 14.1	64.7 ± 9.2	60.7 ± 10.9	50.6 ± 17.0	0.116
Hearing aid technology 2^nd replacement						0.126
Right Ear – n(%)
A	2 (4.3)	1 (5.6)	0	0	1(12.5)
B	13 (29.8)	9 (50)	0	3 (22.2)	1(12.5)
C	28 (66.0)	7 (44)	3 (100)	13 (77.8)	5 (75)
Left Ear – n(%)						0.211
A	1 (2.4)	0	0	0	1(12.5)
B	10 (28.6)	7(46.7)	0	2(22.2)	1 (12.5)
C	28 (69.0)	8 (53.3)	1(100)	14 (77.8)	5 (75.0)
Ear of replacement – n(%)						0.188
Right	8 (18.6)	4 (23.5)	2 (66.7)	1 (6.3)	1 (14.3)
Left	2 (4.7)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	1 (6.3)	1 (14.3)
Both ears	33 (76.7)	13 (76.5)	1 (33.3)	14 (87.5)	5 (71.4)
Causes of replacement RE – n(%)						0.686
Technical failure	32 (78.0)	12 (70.6)	3 (100)	13 (86,7)	4 (66.7)
Loss	2 (4.9)	1 (5.9)	0 (0.0)	1 (6.7)	0 (0.0)
Theft	7 (17.1)	4 (23.5)	0 (0.0)	1 (6.7)	2 (33.3)
Causes of replacement LE – n(%)						0.649
Technical failure	28 (80.0)	9 (69.2)	1 (100)	13 (86.7)	5 (83.3)
Loss	1 (2.9)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	1 (6.7)	0 (0.0)
Theft	6 (17.1)	4 (30.8)	0 (0.0)	1 (6.7)	1 (16.7)

Variables	Total sample	Children	Adolescents	Adults	Elders	Value of p
Variables	(n=342)	(n=73)	(n=32)	(n=109)	(n=128)	Value of p
Third replacement – n	7	5 ^* * statistically significant association (p<0,005) – Test of residuals adjusted to 5% of significance	0	1	1	0.013
Time between adaptation and third replacement (months) – average ± SD	61.1 ± 13.9	65.0 ± 12.1	-	64.0 ± 0.0	59.0 ± 0.0	0.257
Hearing aid technology 3^rd replacement
Right Ear- n(%)						<0.0001
A	-	-	-	-	-
B	2 (28.57)	2 (100)	-	-	-
C	5 (71.43)	3 (75.0)	-	1 (12.5)	1 (12.5)
Left Ear- n(%)						<0.0001
A	-	-	-	-	-
B	2 (28.57)	2 (100)	-	-	-
C	5 (71.43)	3 (75.0)	-	1 (12.5)	1 (12.5)

Causes of replacement RE- n (%)						<0.0001
Technical failure	7(100)	5 (100)	-	1 (100)	1(100)
Theft	-	-	-	-	-
Loss	-	-	-	-	-
Causes of Replacement LE- n (%)						<0.0001
Technical failure	7(100)	5 (100)	-	1 (100)	1(100)
Theft	-	-	-	-	-
Loss	-	-	-	-	-

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[1] Caption: SD = standard deviation; % = percentage; n = absolute value; A = hearing aid technology type A; B = technology type B; C = technology type C