ArticleJMIR formative research2023
Mobile Health Hearing Aid Acclimatization and Support Program in Low-Income Communities: Feasibility Study.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07690670 (A WhatsApp-Delivered AI-Enabled Support Programme Versus Paper-Based Support for First-Time Hearing Aid Users in Low-Resource Communities), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A WhatsApp-Delivered AI-Enabled Support Programme Versus Paper-Based Support for First-Time Hearing Aid Users in Low-Resource Communities: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Feasibility, efficacy and effectiveness of community health worker-facilitated hearing aid provision: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- Community-based hearing aid fitting model for adults in low-income communities facilitated by community health workers: a feasibility study.Global health action · 2025Article
- Preset Hearing Aid Program Selection in Low-Income Communities: A Longitudinal Study.Audiology research · 2025Article
- Prevalence of Hearing Impairment in Saudi Arabia: Pathways to Early Diagnosis, Intervention, and National Policy.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Prediction of Hearing Help Seeking to Design a Recommendation Module of an mHealth Hearing App: Intensive Longitudinal Study of Feature Importance Assessment.JMIR human factors · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 7 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe most common management option for hearing loss is hearing aids. In addition to devices, patients require information and support, including maintenance and troubleshooting. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies can support hearing aid management, acclimatization, and use. This study developed an mHealth acclimatization and support program for first-time hearing aid users and subsequently implemented and pilot-tested the feasibility of the program. The program was facilitated by community health workers (CHWs) in low-income communities in South Africa.
objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an mHealth acclimatization and support program supported by CHWs in low-income communities.
methodsAn application-based acclimatization and support was adapted and translated for use in low- and middle-income countries. This program was delivered in the form of 20 different voice notes accompanied by graphical illustrations via WhatsApp or 20 different SMS text messages. The program was provided to first-time hearing aid users immediately after a community-based hearing aid fitting in March 2021 in 2 low-income communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. The 20 messages were sent over a period of 45 days. Participants were contacted telephonically on days 8, 20, and 43 of the program and via open-ended paper-based questionnaires translated to isiXhosa 45 days and 6 months after the program started to obtain information on their experiences, perceptions, and accessibility of the program. Their responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
resultsA total of 19 participants fitted with hearing aids received the mHealth acclimatization and support program. Most participants (15/19, 79%) received the program via WhatsApp, with 21% (4/19) of them receiving it via SMS text message. Participants described the program as helpful, supportive, informative, sufficient, and clear at both follow-ups. A total of 14 participants reported that they were still using their hearing aids at the 6-month follow-up. Three participants indicated that not all their questions about hearing aids were answered, and 5 others had minor hearing aid issues. This included feedback (n=1), battery performance (n=1), physical fit (n=2), and issues with hearing aid accessories (n=1). However, CHWs successfully addressed all these issues. There were no notable differences in responses between the participants who received the program via WhatsApp compared with those who received it through SMS text message. Most participants receiving WhatsApp messages reported that the voice notes were easier to understand, but the graphical illustrations supplemented the voice notes well.
conclusionsAn mHealth acclimatization and support program is feasible and potentially assists hearing aid acclimatization and use for first-time users in low-income communities. Scalable mHealth support options can facilitate increased access and improve outcomes of hearing care.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.