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J Am Acad Audiol 2022; 33(01): 014-022
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1733965
Research Article

Factors Influencing the Purchase Rate of Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aids

Tadashi Nishimura
1   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
,
Hiroshi Hosoi
2   The Institute of MBT (Medicine-Based Town), Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
,
Tomoko Sugiuchi
3   Sugiuchi Clinic, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
,
Nozomu Matsumoto
4   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
,
Takanori Nishiyama
5   Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
,
Takano Kenichi
6   Department of Otolaryngology, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
,
Satofumi Sugimoto
7   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
,
Hiroaki Yazama
8   Division of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
,
Takeshi Sato
9   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
,
Masahiro Komori
10   Department of Otolaryngology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, Japan
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Abstract

Background Innovated hearing aids (HAs), termed cartilage conduction hearing aids (CC-HAs), show good performance in patients with closed ears and continuous otorrhea. However, factors other than the ear condition that influence the purchase rate of CC-HAs remain unclear.

Purpose To identify the factors that influence the purchase rate of CC-HAs.

Research Design A correlational study.

Study Sample A total of 249 patients were enrolled.

Data Collection and Analysis The patients' demographics, clinical characteristics, outcomes, and CC-HA transducer types were compared. The data were analyzed for six groups classified based on the ear condition.

Results In the unilateral closed-ear group, the purchase cases were significantly younger than the nonpurchase cases (p < 0.05). Regarding the outcomes in the bilateral closed-ear group, the purchase cases showed significantly better-aided thresholds at 0.25 and 0.5 kHz than the nonpurchase cases. No significant differences in the functional gains and speech recognition scores were found between purchase and nonpurchase cases in all six groups. Regarding the transducer type, the continued-use rate of the simple transducer type was significantly lower in the bilateral chronic continuous otorrhea, bilateral open, and unilateral open groups.

Conclusion In the closed ears, no remarkable negative factors were found. Transducer type had a significant influence on the continued-use rate in the nonclosed ears including the ears with chronic continuous otorrhea, although the purchase rate of CC-HAs in the bilateral chronic continuous otorrhea group was comparable to the closed ears.

Keywords

aural atresia - bone conduction - cartilage conduction - continuous otorrhea - hearing aid

Disclaimer

Any mention of a product, service, or procedure in the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology does not constitute an endorsement of the product, service, or procedure by the American Academy of Audiology.




Publication History

Received: 25 March 2021

Accepted: 01 July 2021

Article published online:
06 May 2022

© 2022. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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