COS for adult-acquired APD with normal otology/audiology v6
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pilot work towards identifying a Core Outcome Set for intervention studies into acquired Auditory Processing Disorder in adults presenting with normal hearing and history.
IRAS ID
226979
Contact name
Amanda Hall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Aston University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 5 days
Research summary
Between 5-10% of patients attending Audiology/ENT clinics report difficulty hearing speech in background noise, but have normal hearing test results.
This condition falls under the term “Auditory Processing Disorder" (APD), and for the purposes of this research it will be further defined as adult patients presenting with difficulty hearing in background noise, but with physically normal ears, and no unusual personal/family history of hearing problems.
Current management of APD is through modification of the listening environment, auditory training (to optimise processing), and compensatory strategies (listening techniques). Most research into treatment has been on children; adult research is limited, of variable quality, with a variety of outcome measures. This makes comparison of results difficult, and combining them to provide reliable and strong conclusions a challenge. This research will begin the development of a set of outcomes for future trials in this area, called a Core Outcome Set (COS), making results of intervention trials easier to compare.
This pilot study will involve interviewing six patients about their experiences of APD, and investigating what they feel would be the most important outcomes for any intervention into the condition, and what they would consider a successful treatment. The work will feed into future development of a COS for acquired adult APD, an under-researched and clinically challenging patient population, establishing an initial set of findings on which to base further research.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/2134
Date of REC Opinion
8 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion