Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) as a Hearing Aid Outcome Measure

This study assessed the effects of hearing aids on the perception of tinnitus using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). THI benefit scores (unaided-aided) were examined in relation to hearing aid benefit as measured with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) inventory. The THI benefit was also related to the users' ratings of overall satisfaction with their hearing aids. Thirty-four novice hearing aid users with complaints of hearing loss and tinnitus participated in the study. Outcome measures were obtained 6 weeks after the hearing aid fittings. The results showed that hearing aid use reduced tinnitus handicap significantly, but, typically, the effect was small. The association between overall satisfaction ratings and THI benefit scores was weak. In contrast, the overall satisfaction ratings were strongly related to benefit on the speech subscales (average of Ease of Communication, Reverberation, and Background Noise) but not on the Aversiveness subscale of the APHAB. The weak relationship observed between THI benefit and benefit on the speech subscales of the APHAB suggested that the two inventories were not redundant. The results of the study suggest that the THI can make a useful contribution to the overall profile of hearing aid benefit for new hearing aid users with tinnitus. Abbreviations: AA&SC = Army Audiology and Speech Center, APHAB = Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit, AV = Aversiveness of Sounds subscale, BN = Background Noise subscale, C = Catastrophic subscale, cd = critical difference, E = Emotional subscale, EC = Ease of Communication subscale, E = Emotional subscale, F = functional subscale, RV = Reverberation subscale, THI = Tinnitus Handicap Inventory