Toward An Arabic Version of HEAL-COMMAND Tool: A New International Self-Rated ICF-Based Questionnaire to Evaluate Hearing Loss and Communication and Conversation Disability

Hearing loss is the fourth highest cause of disability globally. Current data suggest that approximately 5% of the world's population suffer from disabling hearing loss, Earlier studies have shown that persons with hearing loss experience a higher prevalence of associated adverse health effects than persons with normal hearing. Those conditions include social isolation, depression, diabetes, dementia, falling, cardiovascular disease, and reduced quality of life. A limitation to disability-based questionnaires related to hearing loss is the large number of instruments available and the lack of consensus on which questionnaires to use. To do so, applying the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) framework was found to be an ideal design foundation. In the ICF, functioning refers to positive aspects of Body Functions, Activities, and Participation, while disability refers to impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions, in which both aspects can be influenced by a health condition(s) and or contextual (personal and environmental) factors. Previous studies showed that the operationalization of the ICF Core Sets for HL into a self-assessment tool can serve as the foundation for a comprehensive picture of health. To accommodate this need, a collaboration between group of researchers at Audiology Clinic, Auburn university, Alabama, USA have been conducted. This partnership resulted in creating an English and German version of questionnaire that comprehensively assesses and individuals hearing functioning profile according to ICF framework which is called HEAL-COMMAND Tool