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INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF AMPLIFICATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS

Uzm. Ody. Hüsna YOKTAN TALAY1,2, Uzm. Ody. Ömer Faruk SÜLOĞLU1,3, Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Nilüfer BAL4, Prof. Dr. Ayça ÇİPRUT4
1Marmara Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Kulak Burun Boğaz Anabilim Dalı, Odyoloji ve Konuşma Bozuklukları Doktora Programı, İstanbul, Türkiye
2İstanbul Üniversitesi, İstanbul Tıp Fakültesi, Odyoloji ve Konuşma Bozuklukları Birimi, İstanbul, Türkiye
3İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Odyoloji Bölümü, İstanbul, Türkiye
4Marmara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Odyoloji Bilim Dalı, İstanbul, Türkiye Objective: It has been reported in the literature that some individuals who are candidates for hearing aids (HAs) avoid using them. The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of individuals with hearing loss (HL) towards HA use and the impact of these attitudes on HA acceptance.

Method: Data for this study were collected through phone interviews with individuals over the age of 18 who were recommended HAs at our clinic between January 1 and June 30, 2023. The study evaluated three groups: regular HA users, irregular HA users, and individuals who did not acquire HAs. Each group completed a structured questionnaire with questions about HA use and acquisition. Data from 152 participants were analyzed.

Results: In our study, 40.13% of patients recommended HAs acquired them, while 59.87% did not. Among those who acquired the devices, 21% used them irregularly, and 78.6% used them regularly. Most HA users were satisfied with the general benefits, but faced issues like distortion, noise, battery costs, and mold incompatibility. For individuals who did not acquire HAs, key reasons included financial constraints, concerns about appearance, social anxiety, lack of information, and the belief that their hearing loss was not severe enough to require HA use.

Conclusion: Similar concerns and opinions were observed across all groups. To improve HA user satisfaction and reduce challenges, it is essential to enhance audiology service quality, technical support, and device fitting. Awareness campaigns, financial support, and social incentives for non-users are recommended to increase HA acquisition rates. Keywords : Hearing aid, hearing loss, patient satisfaction, awareness, socioeconomic factors, rehabilitation