真耳测试对助听器可听度和患者忠诚度的影响

Real Ear Measurement and Its Impact on Aided Audibility and Patient Loyalty

目的探讨并比较真耳测试(real-ear measurement,REM)和Quick-fit所提供的可听度水平的差异,以及该差异对言语理解和听力障碍者对供应商忠诚度的影响。方法对招募并分组(经验组、助听不佳组和未助听组)的60名受试者,配戴同款耳内受话式(receiver-in-the-canal,RIC)助听器,同组内分别采用不同的调试方案(Quick-fit和REM),经言语清晰度指数(speech intelligibility index,SII)、连续性言语测试(connected speech test,CST)及快速忠诚度调查量表评估受试者对助听器服务的忠诚度,并对结果进行统计分析。结果经验组、助听不佳组和未助听组采用REM方案的受试者的SII和忠诚度均高于Quick-fit方案,且差异具有统计学意义;经验组和助听不佳组采用REM方案的受试者的噪声下言语理解能力均高于Quick-fit方案,且差异具有统计学意义。结论采用REM方案的验证服务可有效提升助听器患者的可听度和忠诚度。

Objective To compare the audibility of hearing aids fitted by two procedures:real ear measurement(realear measurement,REM)and Quick-fit;and to investigate the impacts of these two fitting procedures on patients’loyalty.Methods 60 subjects were recruited and were divided into 3 groups:“Experienced”group;“In-the-Drawer”group;and“First-time”users group.All subjects were fit binaurally with a commercially available premium model receiver-in-thecanal(RIC)hearing aid from one manufacturer.Within the group,two hearing aids fitting approaches were used(Quick-fit and REM).Speech intelligibility Index(SII),connected speech test in noise and a quantified survey were used to evaluate the outcomes obtained from patients and results were analyzed.Results When the REM fitting approach was used,the experience,in-the-drawer group and first-time users group were statistically better in SII and loyalty than the results obtained from the Quick-fit approach(P<0.05);and the experienced group and in-the drawer group were statistically better in speech understanding with noise than the results obtained from quick-fit approach(P<0.05).Conclusions Using REM approach would improve audibility and patients’loyalty.