Assessment of hearing loss in elderly people: the feasibility of a nurse administered screening test

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Abstract
This paper examines the findings and implications of an exploratory study which was designed to determine the feasibility of a nurse administered hearing screen test for elderly patients. Theoretical and practical considerations which influenced the design of the hearing assessment test (HAT) and the method of the study are discussed. A sample of 27 elderly hospital inpatients, with a mean age of 81 years, participated in the study. The results of the new HAT were validated by comparison with audiometric assessment results. Analysis using the Generalized Linear Model showed a significant (P less than or equal to 0.01) relationship between the total HAT score and the audiometric measures, with the exception of the audiometric classification of hearing loss which was significant at P less than or equal to 0.05. The results demonstrate that the HAT is a potentially useful tool for nurses to use, but that refinement of the scale and further validity and reliability testing is required before it can be adopted as part of the nursing assessment of elderly people.