Relationship between the process auditory rehabilitation and self-perception of Quality Life in Hearing Aid users: Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: The sensory neural hearing loss is one of the chronicle diseases which causes impact on life quality. The usage of Individual Hearing AIDS (H.A.) may bring benefits to the user, what can be enhanced by including auditory rehabilitation programs. Objective: To investigate life quality improvement in patients that participated on auditory rehabilitation programs after H.A. fitting, throughout systematic review. Methodology: It was realized by active information searching on data bases BIREME, MEDLINE and LILACS, besides virtual libraries SciELO and PUBMED. The studies included were selected according to criteria proposed by the American Speech-Language Association (ASHA). Results: Electronic search on data base resulted on 238 non duplicated studies identified, from which 216 were excluded because they didn’t attend to the initial request. On totality, 22 complete articles were reviewed to verify theme coherence, considering 15 excluded. After all, 7 articles were selected. From those, 2 were classified as 1a (systematic review), 3 as 1b (randomized controlled trials, as comparison group) and 2 as 4 (studies of clinical results- all participants received intervention). Regarding sort of intervention, 3 of the studies evaluated the advising effect, 2 evaluated orientation groups. Concerning systematic reviews included, one investigated the improvement of communicative skills after auditory training and another verified if the advising and communication strategies improved benefit/satisfaction with AASI and decreased participation restriction. Conclusion: Individuals that are carried through auditory rehabilitation use more hours a day their HA, improve the communication activities and use more communication strategies day-by-day, improving the quality of life. Aspects as participation restriction and satisfaction must be better investigated.