Optimising hearing aid output to paediatric prescriptive targets improves outcomes in children

Abstract

Objective

This study examined the accuracy of hearing aid output to DSL v5.0 Child targets in a group of children who wear hearing aids, and the impact on their auditory outcomes.

Design

For each participant, the output of the initial hearing aid fitting was compared to DSL v5.0 Child prescriptive targets and again after the fitting was adjusted using coupler-based verification and RECD measures. Outcomes for initial and adjusted fittings were examined using the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII), Parent’s Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) rating scale, and speech perception tests in quiet and noise.

Study sample

Sixty-eight children aged 3 months to 17 years with moderate to profound hearing loss participated in the study.

Results

Fit-to-targets improved significantly after hearing aids were adjusted to match targets to within 5 dB RMSE. Adjusted hearing aids provided increased aided audibility compared to initial fittings and resulted in improved speech perception scores and parent-reported hearing performance. Fifty percent of the children aged 6 to 17 years preferred their adjusted fitting compared to 10% who preferred their initial fitting.

Conclusions

Improvement in fit-to-target to a validated paediatric prescriptive formula using best practice procedures can result in improved auditory outcomes and possible self-reported satisfaction.

Keywords:

• Amplification protocol
• real-ear-coupler difference
• fit-to-targets
• amplification outcomes
• fitting error
• prescriptive formula
• DSL v5.0 Child

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Director General of Health Malaysia for his permission to publish this article. Not to forget, we would like to express our gratitude to the audiologists who were involved in the data collection at the clinical sites and to both parents and children who participated in our study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.