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Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to revise the Practical Hearing Aid Skills Test (PHAST; Desjardins & Doherty, 2009) for clinical use.
Method: The original PHAST 5-point rating scale was revised to a 3-point rating scale, and the battery and hearing aid cleaning skill tasks were revised to include additional actions necessary to perform these tasks. The revised version of the PHAST is referred to as the Practical Hearing Aid Skills Test- Revised (PHAST-R). The data obtained in the Desjardins and Doherty (2009) study with the original PHAST 5-point rating scale were re-analyzed in the present study using the PHAST-R 3-point rating scale. Also, the PHAST-R was piloted on 15 experienced hearing aid users in a clinical setting.
Results: The secondary data analysis of the original PHAST scores showed no significant difference between participants' percentage correct scores using the original PHAST 5-point rating scale and the PHAST-R 3-point rating scale. PHAST-R scores for the group of 15 experienced hearing aid users ranged from61.29%to 100%(M= 88.48, SD = 12.6).
Conclusion: Clinicians were able to use the PHAST-R to quickly and objectively identify hearing aid orientation problems for which clients needed counseling and reinstruction.
Key Words: amplification, hearing aid orientation, aural rehabilitation, hearing aids, counseling
Verification of hearing aid orientation is recommended as part of the best practice for fitting hearing aids (Valente et al., 2006). Hearing aid orientation refers to effectively instructing and orienting clients about the use and care of their hearing aids; it has been shown to be important for successful hearing aid outcomes. For example, Humes, Ahlstrom, Bratt, and Peek (2009) reported that individuals who had greater difficulty managing and manipulating their hearing aids were not as satisfied, perceived less benefit, and reported lower use of their hearing aids compared with individuals who had less difficulty manipulating their hearing aids.
In most clinical settings, hearing aid clients are simply asked if they have any trouble using and/or caring for their hearing aids. If no problems are reported, typically, no further counseling on the use and care of the hearing aid is offered. However, relying on client feedback is not necessarily the best approach to verify if a client is able to properly use and care for his or her hearing...