RECRUITING

Barriers and Facilitators to OTC Hearing Aids Success

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

Hearing aids can improve hearing, communication, and overall quality of life for people with hearing loss. However, not many people use hearing aids. A common reason is that hearing aids are expensive and hard to get. The traditional way to get hearing aids involves multiple visits to licensed audiologists for identifying hearing loss, customizing the aids, and ongoing maintenance. This traditional method is called the AUD pathway. Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids offer a different approach. They aim to make hearing aids more affordable and accessible, encouraging earlier use. In the OTC pathway, users diagnose their own hearing loss and fit and program the hearing aids themselves. Little is known about long-term effects of OTC hearing aids on users. This study aims to compare the experiences of people who choose the OTC pathway with those who choose the AUD pathway. It takes place in two locations: Iowa City, IA, and Nashville, TN. Participants, who have mild-to-moderate hearing loss, choose their preferred pathway and are followed for 12 months. In the OTC pathway, participants buy their hearing aids directly from OTC companies or retailers. In the AUD pathway, prescription hearing aids and fitting services are provided by audiology clinics at the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Participants are contacted 1, 6, and 12 months after starting to use their hearing aids. Researchers measure their satisfaction about hearing aids and other outcomes. If participants stop using their hearing aids, researchers assess their engagement with post-amplification hearing care. The results from both pathways are then compared.

Official Title

Barriers and Facilitators to OTC Hearing Aids Success

Quick Facts

Study Start:2025-03-15
Study Completion:2029-04-01
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT06499805

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years to 89 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. * adult-onset, perceived bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss
  2. * no previous hearing aid experience
  1. * Non-native speaker of English

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Yu-Hsiang Wu, PhD
CONTACT
319-335-8728
yu-hsiang-wu@uiowa.edu
Elizabeth Stangl, AuD
CONTACT
319-335-9758
elizabeth-stangl@uiowa.edu

Principal Investigator

Yu-Hsiang Wu, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Iowa

Study Locations (Sites)

University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa, 52242
United States
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, 37232
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Yu-Hsiang Wu

  • Yu-Hsiang Wu, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Iowa

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2025-03-15
Study Completion Date2029-04-01

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2025-03-15
Study Completion Date2029-04-01

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
  • Presbycusis