Listener preferences and speech recognition outcomes using self-adjusted hearing aid amplification

Abstract

Self-adjustment of hearing aid gain empowers users to set amplification parameters according to their personal preferences. Listeners with mild-to-moderate hearing loss demonstrated self-consistency when adjusting gain in noisy backgrounds, although variability across subjects was very high and poorly predicted by user characteristics such as age, hearing thresholds, or previous experience using hearing aids. Despite the wide range of self-fit settings, speech intelligibility in noise was similar between self-fit and audiologist-fit settings. For average-level speech in noisy backgrounds, audibility was driven primarily by the signal-to-noise ratio, not gain settings. Self-adjustment for speech in quiet backgrounds will be compared to results obtained in noise. User interactions with the self-adjustment technology as well as preferences for self-fit settings and audiologist fit settings suggest that users can successfully use self-adjustment technology to achieve more desirable amplification from their hearing aids.Self-adjustment of hearing aid gain empowers users to set amplification parameters according to their personal preferences. Listeners with mild-to-moderate hearing loss demonstrated self-consistency when adjusting gain in noisy backgrounds, although variability across subjects was very high and poorly predicted by user characteristics such as age, hearing thresholds, or previous experience using hearing aids. Despite the wide range of self-fit settings, speech intelligibility in noise was similar between self-fit and audiologist-fit settings. For average-level speech in noisy backgrounds, audibility was driven primarily by the signal-to-noise ratio, not gain settings. Self-adjustment for speech in quiet backgrounds will be compared to results obtained in noise. User interactions with the self-adjustment technology as well as preferences for self-fit settings and audiologist fit settings suggest that users can successfully use self-adjustment technology to achieve more desirable amplification from their he...