Experiences With and Lessons Learned From Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Support Program for Older Hearing Aid Users and Their Communication Partners in the Hearing Aid Dispensing Setting

Abstract

Purpose The SUpport PRogram (SUPR) study was carried out in the context of a private academic partnership and is the first study to evaluate the long-term effects of a communication program (SUPR) for older hearing aid users and their communication partners on a large scale in a hearing aid dispensing setting. The purpose of this research note is to reflect on the lessons that we learned during the different development, implementation, and evaluation phases of the SUPR project. Procedure This research note describes the procedures that were followed during the different phases of the SUPR project and provides a critical discussion to describe the strengths and weaknesses of the approach taken. Conclusion This research note might provide researchers and intervention developers with useful insights as to how aural rehabilitation interventions, such as the SUPR, can be developed by incorporating the needs of the different stakeholders, evaluated by using a robust research design (including a large sample size and a longer term follow-up assessment), and implemented widely by collaborating with a private partner (hearing aid dispensing practice chain).

Effectiveness of a Web-Based SUpport PRogram (SUPR) for Hearing Aid Users Aged 50+: Two-Arm, Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

“…Differences in interpretation of what taking action meant to someone may have occurred between participants but also within participants over time (as the intervention might have influenced what taking action was) causing invalid measurements. This is further discussed in Meijerink et al [40].…”

“…The intervention group received the SUPR program as an addition to their HA fitting trajectory. A full description of the development of SUPR is reported elsewhere [40].…”

Process Evaluation of an Online SUpport PRogram for Older Hearing Aid Users Delivered in a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

“…All measurement instruments can be reviewed in the effectiveness paper (see below). The full description of the developmental process of SUPR is reported in a lessons learned paper (21).…”

Introduction for the 4th International Meeting on Internet and Audiology Special Issue of the American Journal of Audiology

“…Three articles (Burden et al, 2020;Meijerink et al, 2020;Pronk et al, 2020) describe the development of online or app-based self-management programs using a participatory design approach. In participatory design, the key stakeholders, which may include potential patients and clinicians, provide input and feedback throughout the program development process.…”

“…It demonstrates how stakeholders can (and should) influence the design of new interventions. Meijerink et al (2020) describe their experiences and lessons learned during the development, implementation, and evaluation of a support program for older hearing aid users and their communication partners. Again, through describing the lessons they learned, they illustrate how involvement of the stakeholders, via telephone surveys and focus groups, led to considerable changes in the program over the development process.…”