By Erin M. Picou, PhD; Laura Winther Balling, PhD; and Eric Branda, AuD, PhD Sound quality is central to hearing aid satisfaction and hearing aid sound design. In a recent study, we found that hearing aid sound quality also affects the daily moods of hearing aid wearers, who showed improved ratings of fatigue, vigor, and esteem-related affect when wearing hearing aids with individually optimized sound quality....
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✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Prioritizing individualized sound quality preferences during hearing aid fitting — beyond standard targets — may meaningfully improve patient mood and well-being; audiologists should incorporate patient-preferred sound quality settings as a routine fitting goal.
This study provides measurable, real-world evidence that sound quality personalization is not merely a comfort preference but a clinically relevant outcome tied to patient mental wellness.
- 01Individualized hearing aid sound quality was linked to measurable improvements in daily mood and well-being.
- 02Study used a crossover design with 'Good' and 'Tolerable' sound settings counterbalanced across home trial periods.
- 03Participants completed daily ratings of hearing, sound quality, and mood during real-world use.
- 04Fatigue was also assessed retrospectively using the VFS-A questionnaire at clinic visits.
- 05Research was affiliated with Widex, which introduces potential commercial bias.
Individualized hearing aid sound quality measurably affects the daily mood and well-being of hearing aid wearers.
studypartially supportedA 'Good' sound quality setting produces better outcomes than a 'Tolerable' setting in daily real-world use.
studyunclear- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Hearing aid wearers participating in a crossover home trial with individualized sound quality settings
- Intervention
- Individualized 'Good' sound quality hearing aid setting fitted beyond standard NAL-NL2/REM targets
- Comparator
- 'Tolerable' sound quality hearing aid setting (counterbalanced crossover)
Primary outcomes
Daily mood ratings; Daily well-being ratings; Listening fatigue (VFS-A questionnaire)