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SELF TEST YOUR HEARING
AID
Sometimes hearing aid users wonder if they are receiving adequate
benefit from their hearing aids, but they do not have a good reference
for what they should expect. The short scale below can provide an
indication as to how well your experiences compare to the average
ratings for the last 230 people we have seen as of March 1, 2001.
For this exercise we have selected ten representative items from
our helpfulness scale and ten from the frustration scale. Print
this page out, and record your scores on the printout. Then click
the link at the bottom of this page and compare your answers to
our averages. |
Image courtesy of Oticon |
FRUSTRATION - First,
using a scale of 0 to 10, please rate how much frustration you experience
with your hearing aids for the following situations.
Zero = absolutely no frustration whatsoever
10 = so much frustration that you have given up in that situation
altogether.
N/A = does not apply
SITUATION |
RATING |
Because of whistling or squealing when I turn it up louder |
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Because of pain or discomfort with the hearing aid or
earmold |
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Because of the sound of your voice TO YOU when you use
the hearing aid |
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Because of loud, sharp sounds |
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Because of DISCOMFORT from loud background |
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Because loud noise INTERFERES with what I am trying to
hear |
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Because of trouble hearing in restaurants |
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Because of trouble hearing at parties and receptions |
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Because of trouble hearing in GOOD Listening situations |
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Because of distortion or other noise(s) coming from the
hearing aid |
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Total for Frustration
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Divide by number of items rated
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This is your Average Frustration Rating |
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HELPFULNESS - Now,
rate your opinion of the amount of help you actually receive from
your hearing aid(s) compared to how much help you would reasonably
expect to receive. This time,
0 = absolutely no help whatsoever
10 = they meet your every expectation
N/A = does not apply
(Keep in mind, that 10 does not mean perfect hearing. For a perspective,
assume that if you went out and bought the best pair of running
shoes available, you would not expect to run as well as you did
when you were twenty, but you still would have reasonable expectations
for them. Try to use similar criteria for rating your hearing aid(s)
for helpfulness.)
SITUATION |
RATING |
Hearing from room to room
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With sudden unexpected comments or questions (while reading
or watching TV, etc.) |
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In conversations with small groups (three to five people)
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With hearing at restaurants |
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With young children's voices |
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While in the car (listening to the radio and others in
the car) |
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With hearing on the telephone |
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In the presence of background noise |
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In one on one conversations |
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With hearing natural sounds, i.e. rain, crickets, birds,
leaves rustling, etc. |
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Total for Frustration
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Total Helpfulness Ratings
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Divide by the number of items rated |
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This is your Average Helpfulness Rating |
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Insert the Average Frustration Rating from above and subtract
it from the Average Helpfulness Rating |
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This is your Helpfulness-Frustration
Difference |
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On a scale of 0 to 10 (10
= best), What is your OVERALL SATISFACTION Rating for your
hearing aids? |
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Now, compare your results with our average patient's reults here.
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