TY - JOUR
T1 - The Baltimore HEARS Pilot Study
T2 - An Affordable, Accessible, Community-Delivered Hearing Care Intervention
AU - Nieman, Carrie L.
AU - Marrone, Nicole
AU - Mamo, Sara K.
AU - Betz, Joshua
AU - Choi, Janet S.
AU - Contrera, Kevin J.
AU - Thorpe, Roland J.
AU - Gitlin, Laura N.
AU - Tanner, Elizabeth K.
AU - Han, Hae Ra
AU - Szanton, Sarah L.
AU - Lin, Frank R.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a pilot grant from the Center for Innovative Care in Aging, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and a Resident Research Grant from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (C. L. Nieman), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (T32DC000027, C. L. Nieman; K23DC011279, F. R. Lin; R21DC013681, N. Marrone), a Triological Society/American College of Surgeons Clinician Scientist Award (F. R. Lin), and the Eleanor Schwartz Charitable Foundation (F. R. Lin).
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - Purpose of the Study: Age-related hearing loss negatively affects health outcomes, yet disparities in hearing care, such as hearing aid use, exist based on race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position. Recent national efforts highlight reduction of hearing care disparities as a public health imperative. This study a) describes a community engagement approach to addressing disparities, b) reports preliminary outcomes of a novel intervention, and c) discusses implementation processes and potential for wide-scale testing and use. Design and Methods: This was a prospective, randomized control pilot, with a 3-month delayed treatment group as a waitlist control, that assessed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a community-delivered, affordable, and accessible intervention for older adults with hearing loss. Outcomes were assessed at 3 months, comparing immediate and delayed groups, and pooled to compare the cohort's pre- and 3-month post-intervention results. Results: All participants completed the study (n = 15). The program was highly acceptable: 93% benefited, 100% would recommend the program, and 67% wanted to serve as future program trainers. At 3 months, the treated group (n = 8) experienced fewer social and emotional effects of hearing loss and fewer depressive symptoms as compared to the delayed treatment group (n = 7). Pooling 3-month post-intervention scores (n = 15), participants reported fewer negative hearingrelated effects (effect size = -0.96) and reduced depressive symptoms (effect size = -0.43). Implications: The HEARS (Hearing Equality through Accessible Research & Solutions) intervention is feasible, acceptable, low risk, and demonstrates preliminary efficacy. HEARS offers a novel, low-cost, and readily scalable solution to reduce hearing care disparities and highlights how a community-engaged approach to intervention development can address disparities.
AB - Purpose of the Study: Age-related hearing loss negatively affects health outcomes, yet disparities in hearing care, such as hearing aid use, exist based on race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position. Recent national efforts highlight reduction of hearing care disparities as a public health imperative. This study a) describes a community engagement approach to addressing disparities, b) reports preliminary outcomes of a novel intervention, and c) discusses implementation processes and potential for wide-scale testing and use. Design and Methods: This was a prospective, randomized control pilot, with a 3-month delayed treatment group as a waitlist control, that assessed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a community-delivered, affordable, and accessible intervention for older adults with hearing loss. Outcomes were assessed at 3 months, comparing immediate and delayed groups, and pooled to compare the cohort's pre- and 3-month post-intervention results. Results: All participants completed the study (n = 15). The program was highly acceptable: 93% benefited, 100% would recommend the program, and 67% wanted to serve as future program trainers. At 3 months, the treated group (n = 8) experienced fewer social and emotional effects of hearing loss and fewer depressive symptoms as compared to the delayed treatment group (n = 7). Pooling 3-month post-intervention scores (n = 15), participants reported fewer negative hearingrelated effects (effect size = -0.96) and reduced depressive symptoms (effect size = -0.43). Implications: The HEARS (Hearing Equality through Accessible Research & Solutions) intervention is feasible, acceptable, low risk, and demonstrates preliminary efficacy. HEARS offers a novel, low-cost, and readily scalable solution to reduce hearing care disparities and highlights how a community-engaged approach to intervention development can address disparities.
KW - Age-related hearing loss
KW - Community engagement
KW - Disparities
KW - Hearing health care
KW - Hearing loss
KW - Implementation
KW - Intervention development
KW - Minority health
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85034849561
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85034849561#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnw153
DO - 10.1093/geront/gnw153
M3 - Article
C2 - 27927734
AN - SCOPUS:85034849561
SN - 0016-9013
VL - 57
SP - 1173
EP - 1186
JO - Gerontologist
JF - Gerontologist
IS - 6
ER -