Assessment of the ACE Program for Rehabilitation in Hearing Loss

• Introduction: Hearing loss is a prevalent condition in elderly population. However, the low adherence to hearing aids is a fact, with an estimation of use of 50 per cent. In Chile, hearing aids are provided by the State for elderly population. In 2007 there was designed a rehabilitation program called Active Communication Education (ACE), that is a semistructured rehabilitation program for people with hearing loss, which aims to improve rehabilitation of hearing aids users by a strategy based on problem solution.
• The study hypothesis is that a counseling program will improve adherence to hearing aids in elderly population.
• Objective: To evaluate the utility of a standardized counseling program in patients with hearing loss.
• Material and Methods: A before/after clinical trial will be carried out, approved by the Hospital ethics - committee. Patients with 65 years and older diagnosed by pure tone audiometry who are beneficiaries of the Public GES hearing loss programme and receive a hearing aid will be included. The subjects will be randomized in two branches: Active branch, subject to the rehabilitation program; and passive branch, which was control, with usual management (no intervention). To assess adherence we will use the IOI-HA scale.

Inclusion criteria

• Bilateral hearing loss equal or higher than 40 decibels
• Age 65 years old or more
• Agree to be included in the study
• Have a relative to go to the intervention with the subject

Exclusion criteria

• Severe organic brain impairment
• Physical or mental incapacity to understand the study questionnaires
• Structural pathology of the ear that produces hearing loss as chronic otitis media, ear canal tumor, or tumor of the cerebellopontine angle