Journal article
The Baltimore HEARS Pilot Study: An Affordable, Accessible, Community-Delivered Hearing Care Intervention
The Gerontologist, v 57(6), pp 1173-1186
10 Nov 2017
PMID: 27927734
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
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.
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.
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 hearing-related effects (effect size = -0.96) and reduced depressive symptoms (effect size = -0.43).
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.
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Details
- Title
- The Baltimore HEARS Pilot Study: An Affordable, Accessible, Community-Delivered Hearing Care Intervention
- Creators
- Carrie L Nieman - The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.Nicole Marrone - University of ArizonaSara K Mamo - The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.Joshua Betz - Bloomberg (United States)Janet S Choi - The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.Kevin J Contrera - The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.Roland J Thorpe, Jr - The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MarylandLaura N Gitlin - Johns Hopkins UniversityElizabeth K Tanner - The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.Hae-Ra Han - Johns Hopkins UniversitySarah L Szanton - Bloomberg (United States)Frank R Lin - Bloomberg (United States)
- Publication Details
- The Gerontologist, v 57(6), pp 1173-1186
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Grant note
- K23 DC011279 / NIDCD NIH HHS R21 DC015062 / NIDCD NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Nursing and Health Professions; Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000415085600020
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85034849561
- Other Identifier
- 991020111984004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Gerontology