Original Research Hearing aid verification: Practices and perceptions of South African audiologists

Jared Moll, Zani Burger, Daneel M.P. Jacobs, Retshepisitswe P. Mothibe, De Wet Swanepoel, Faheema Mahomed-Asmail

South African Journal of Communication Disorders | Vol 71, No 1 | a1059 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajcd.v71i1.1059 | © 2024 Jared Moll, Zani Burger, Daneel M.P. Jacobs, Retshepisitswe P. Mothibe, De Wet Swanepoel, Faheema Mahomed-Asmail | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 15 May 2024 | Published: 09 December 2024

About the author(s) Jared Moll, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Zani Burger, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Daneel M.P. Jacobs, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Retshepisitswe P. Mothibe, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
De Wet Swanepoel, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States of America; and Virtual Hearing Lab, a Collaborative initiative between the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
Faheema Mahomed-Asmail, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Hearing aid verification is required to objectively measure hearing aid outputs by ensuring that the amplified speech spectrum closely approximates the prescription goals.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine audiologists’ perceptions and practices regarding hearing aid verification and identify facilitators and barriers to its use.

Method: A cross-sectional national e-survey included questions related to demographics, perceptions of verification, verification practices and two open-ended questions regarding the facilitators and barriers to conducting hearing aid verification in South Africa.

Results: Seventy-eight South African audiologists, with experience ranging from less than a year to 34 years, completed the online survey. Of these, 76.3% conduct hearing aid verification, while 23.7% seldom or never perform this verification. Among the audiologists who conducted verification, 81.0% reported performing it on both adults and children. More than three-quarters (86.6%) indicated that they conduct verification only during the initial fitting, while half (53.8%) do so only when a problem arises. Thematic analysis revealed the following barriers to verification: improper equipment, a lack of equipment, non-standard clinical practices and time constraints.

Conclusion: There are several challenges faced by South African audiologists in performing verification. It may be feasible to address these barriers by raising awareness about the value of verification, offering training, and advocating for the purchase and utilisation of verification equipment.

Contribution: This study’s findings provide information on the current practices of hearing aid verification in a socioeconomically diverse setting. Furthermore, it highlights important challenges such as a lack of equipment as well as time constraints.

Keywords

hearing aids; verification; practices; perceptions; real ear measurements; resources; standards

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

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