NCA photo The Assistive Devices Laboratory at the National Centre for Audiology (NCA), Canada's pre-eminent centre of excellence in the field of hearing health care.

Also from this web page:

About Your Hearing

 NCA Photo                
Should you be concerned about
your hearing?

How loud is too
                  loud? [more]
                                               

Assistive Devices Laboratory Projects

Projects | People | Publications | Downloads

Perceived Self-efficacy in Adult Audiologic Rehabilitation

The Bernafon Hearing Innovations Assistive Devices Laboratory was used in Dr. Mary Beth Jennings’ Ph.D. thesis, “Perceived Self-efficacy in Adult Audiologic Rehabilitation.” This project was funded by a Doctoral Studentship Award from the Provincial Rehabilitation Research Program, sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and the University of Toronto. The work was also supported by the Canadian Federation of University Women Charitable Trust’s Beverley Jackson Fellowship.

NCA PhotoHearing loss is the most commonly reported chronic disability for older adults and it has a significant impact on all aspects of an individual’s life. Seniors are not regularly referred for hearing healthcare services. Of those who do obtain services, only a small number follow through with the purchase and use of hearing assistive technologies. Aural rehabilitation (AR) programs that support the individual in coping with the impact of hearing loss are not readily available to Canadian seniors.

The current research project examined the impact of AR program participation on post-program strategy use, perceived self-efficacy (PSE), activity limitations and participation restrictions, and examined the role of PSE in AR outcomes. Results indicated that older adults who attended AR programs received benefit in strategy use, i.e., goal attainment, daily use of hearing aids and assistive device ownership. NCA PHotoThe benefit was greatest for persons who had medium levels of initial PSE. The Self-efficacy for Situational Communication Management Questionnaire (SESMQ) was developed for this research and was found to be a useful tool for categorizing participants by initial PSE levels to examine outcomes. Further research into PSE level and hearing health behaviour change is warranted. The usefulness of Goal Attainment scaling as a tool and measure of change for AR was supported by this research and further investigation is needed in this area.

[top]

Assessment of Speech Clarity of Amplified Telephones

Amplified telephones are typically used by hearing impaired listeners for a better telephone communication experience.  Several brands of amplified telephones are NCA Photocommercially available.  While the general goal of these telephones is to boost incoming signal from the telephone network, some telephones are better than others in terms of the quality of the amplified sound.   To date, no studies have been undertaken to comparatively evaluate the sound quality of the amplified sound from these telephones.  In this collaborative project between the assistive devices and DSP labs, the sound quality of the amplified sound from different commercially available amplified telephones is being investigated.  This study is being conducted in two stages: electroacoustic evaluation and perceptual evaluation.  The electroacoustic evaluation phase has been completed in April 2007.  Using a Bruel & Kjaer Head & Torso simulator with telephone handset positioned, we have systematically evaluated the sound quality of speech signals amplified through four different amplified telephones.  The sound quality was NAC Photoquantified using an objective measure of sound quality.  Data analysis revealed that : (a) there are significant differences in sound quality between the four telephones, (b) the sound quality degrades as the gain is increased on three of the four telephones, and (c) some devices that differed widely in their price had similar sound quality.  A follow up study on obtaining sound quality ratings from hearing impaired listeners is currently being planned.

[top]

Other NCA labs include

Anechoic Chamber | Assistive Devices | Child Amplification |
Child Hearing Research | Digital Signal Processing | Speech Communication | Electrophysiology | Hearing Research Clinic | Hearing Science  | Robert B. Johnston Aural Rehabilitations

Search

Contact

NCA Director Prudence Allen

Dr. Prudence Allen
Director of the National Centre for Audiology
Phone: (519) 661-3901
Fax: (519) 661-3805 or pallen@uwo.ca