Evaluation of Hearing Protection Fit Testing Program

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Hearing Loss
• Interventions: Other: Software intervention and education; Other: Education only

• Registration Number: NCT02109757
• Lead Sponsor: United States Air Force

Brief Summary

The specific aim of this research is to evaluate the performance, effectiveness, and long-term training benefits of a formal hearing protection fit testing program. This study may provide preliminary evidence on the benefits of direct education/training combined with a formal hearing protection device (HPD) fit testing on HPD fittings on United States Air Force (USAF) employees. Currently, Public Health provides informal, subjective training to employees; this practice may be altered by the results of this study.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2014-01-09
• Study Start: 2014-03
• Status Verified: 2014-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-04-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-04-07
• Study First Posted: 2014-04-10
• Last Update Posted: 2014-04-10
• Primary Completion: 2015-10

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

• Subjects must be enrolled in the hearing conservation program, and can be civilian or active duty/uniformed. Subjects must be currently using some form of in-the-ear hearing protection device on a regular basis and have ear canals free of cerumen, infection, or any other obstruction.

Exclusion Criteria

• Not enrolled in the hearing conservation program. Not using in-the-ear hearing protection device on a regular basis. Ear canals containing cerumen, infection, or other obstructions.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Software intervention and education	Software intervention and education	This group will receive software intervention and education before and after receiving one-on-one education, thus showing if benefit or effect occurs simply due to having the software input before receiving education.
Education only	Education only	This group will not receive software intervention prior to and after one-on-one education, only afterwards.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Degree of earplug fit for participants in the Air Force Hearing Conservation Program as a measure of education and personnal attenuation rating.	6 mos after intial subject visit	The experimental group will show an increase, larger than the control group, in the amount of personal attenuation rating measurement shown by the software program as a result of software intervention used before and after education at the initial and follow-up visits.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; 🇺🇸 Dayton, Ohio, United States

Elmendorf Air Force Base; 🇺🇸 Elemendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, United States