OBJECTIVE: To describe getting used to hearing aids from the perspective of adult hearing-aid users. DESIGN: Three focus group discussions were carried out. A topic guide and discussion exercises were used to elicit views on getting used to hearing aids. Discussion was audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to qualitative content analysis. STUDY SAMPLE: Adult hearing aid users (n = 16). RESULTS: Participants described getting used to hearing aids as a multi-factorial process which included adjusting to altered sensory input, practical matters such as cleaning and maintenance, and managing the psychosocial impact of hearing-aid use, such as on self-image. Users reported a process of discovering benefits and limitations of hearing aids leading to individual patterns of use that was relatively independent of input from audiologists. CONCLUSIONS: Getting used to hearing aids is a challenging multi-factorial process with both psychosocial and practical difficulties besides demands of adjusting to hearing-aid input.
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Dawes et al. (2014) studied this question.
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