Hearing Aid User Satisfaction at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (SADL).

Abstract

Background: Communication, social interaction, and quality of life are all greatly impacted by hearing loss. The major rehabilitative treatment for sensorineural hearing loss is the use of hearing aids (HAs), however in many low-and middle-income countries, including Ghana, satisfaction and utilisation rates are still poor. Improving hearing health outcomes requires measuring user satisfaction with HA. Aims: To assess hearing aid utilization and satisfaction among users attending the Hearing Assessment Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, Ghana. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 98 hearing aid users aged 21–68 years at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Participants completed the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life (SADL) questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22, with descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests) applied to determine associations between participant demography, characteristics and satisfaction levels. Results: Most participants (69.4%) had used their current hearing aids for a period of up to 10 years, (50.0%) of the users used them for 4-8 hours daily. The mean global satisfaction score was 4.4 ± 0.32, indicating that 67.3% of users were satisfied overall. The Service and Cost subscale recorded the highest mean score (4.9 ± 0.43), while Negative Features recorded the lowest (3.8 ± 0.73). Significant associations were found between satisfaction and age (p < 0.001), educational level (p < 0.001), employment status (p = 0.016), and daily HA usage (p = 0.018). Conclusion: Hearing aid users at the KBTH reported high levels of satisfaction regarding service quality and equipment reliability. But problems with feedback and background noise still exist. Demographic and usage parameters had an influence on satisfaction, highlighting the significance of user education and technological innovation to improve listening comfort and long-term adoption.