The Baltimore HEARS Pilot Study: Hearing Health Care Equality Through Accessible Research & Solutions
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Age-related Hearing Impairment 1
- Sponsor
- Johns Hopkins University
- Enrollment
- 15
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change From Baseline in Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE)-S at 3 Months
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 7 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The primary purpose of the study is to develop and test the preliminary efficacy of a first-in-kind community-based intervention to provide affordable, accessible and effective hearing health care to low-income, minority older adults.
Detailed Description
Age-related hearing impairment is strongly associated with poorer communicative functioning and social isolation, but hearing impairment often goes undiagnosed and untreated, particularly among minority and low-income older adults. Novel interventions that translate research on social engagement, minority health, and hearing technology are needed to expand delivery of hearing health care to underserved older adults. The Baltimore Hearing Equality through Accessible Research and Solutions (HEARS) project will develop and pilot a first-in-kind community-based intervention to provide affordable, accessible, and effective hearing health care to minority and low-income older adults and their communication partners. The study will follow a mixed-methods approach that will incorporate quantitative and qualitative components throughout the formative and evaluative processes. Participants and their communication partners will be randomized to an immediate treatment group or a 3-month delayed treatment group. The investigators hypothesize that the intervention is associated with increased social engagement and communication, improved quality of life, and decreased loneliness and third-party disability in the immediate treatment compared to the delayed treatment group.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 60 years or older
- •English-speaking
- •Aural-oral verbal communication as primary communication modality
- •Post-lingual hearing loss
- •Does not currently use a hearing amplification device or hearing aid
- •Signed informed consent to participate in baseline, 1 month, and 3 month assessments
- •Have a communication partner able to accompany them to all study-related appointments
Exclusion Criteria
- •Individuals who do not fulfill inclusion criteria
- •Score ≤ 25 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change From Baseline in Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE)-S at 3 Months
Time Frame: 3 months
Mean change, Unpooled - comparing baseline to 3 month follow-up visit Measure Description: Measure was collected through a one-on-one interview with a trained data collector. Scoring: 0-8 suggests no hearing handicap 10-24 suggests mild-moderate hearing handicap 26-40 suggests significant hearing handicap
Secondary Outcomes
- Change From Baseline in Revised QDS at 3 Months(3 months)
- Change From Baseline in Revised UCLA at 3 Months(3 months)
- Change From Baseline in SF-36 Mental Component at 3 Months(3 months)
- Change From Baseline in PHQ-9 at 3 Months(3 months)
- Change From Baseline in SF-36 Physical Component at 3 Months(3 months)