Clinically Streamlined and Structured Aural Rehabilitation (CSSAR) for New Hearing Aid Users

This study is looking at whether a program called Clinically Streamlined and Structured Aural Rehabilitation (CSSAR) can help new hearing aid users aged 55 and older. CSSAR is an extra support program designed to be used alongside standard hearing aid care. The goal is to see if CSSAR improves how well people hear with their hearing aids, reduces how much hearing loss bothers them, and helps them understand speech better in noisy places. You might be able to join if you are 55 or older, have hearing loss in both ears, are a new user of specific Phonak hearing aids, and speak English.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 60 participants. It compares the CSSAR program with standard audiological care.
What's involved
Participants in the intervention group will receive standard care plus the two-phase CSSAR program. Assessments will occur at baseline, 3 months after Phase I, and 3 months after Phase II.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 3 months after Phase I of the CSSAR intervention and 3 months after Phase II.

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NCT07719114

Benefit of a Clinically Streamlined and Structured Aural Rehabilitation (CSSAR) Program in Adults

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 55+InterventionalTreatment
Case Western Reserve University
~60 participants
Updated 2026-07-22 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Clinically Streamlined and Structured Aural Rehabilitation (CSSAR)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Self-Perceived Hearing Aid Benefit
Measured over Baseline, 3 Months Post Phase I CSSAR Intervention, 3 Months Post Phase II CSSAR Intervention
+2 more outcomes measured
Hearing Loss
1 sites across 1 states
Ohio1

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Age 55 and over
Bilateral, symmetric sensorineural hearing loss
New users of binaural entry-level Phonak Receiver-in-Canal hearing aids (for experimental control)
Proficiency in English (in order to understand consent documents, experimental English speech recognition tests, and clinically streamlined and structured aural rehabilitation (CSSAR) trainings)

Exclusion

Score \< 23 on cognitive screener
Unilateral or asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss
Conductive or mixed hearing loss
Experienced hearing aid users or users of advanced level hearing aids
Less than proficient English speaker
  • Self-Perceived Hearing Aid BenefitBaseline, 3 Months Post Phase I CSSAR Intervention, 3 Months Post Phase II CSSAR Intervention

    Change in self-perceived hearing aid benefit will be measured using The Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB). The APHAB is a 24-item questionnaire consisting of listening experiences across a range of situations with and without hearing aids. Participants indicate on a 7-item scale the percentage of time in which the statement is true from Always (99% of the time) to Never (1% of the time) when unaided and when aided with their devices. The APHAB is a well-used and -accepted clinical questionnaire of perceived hearing aid benefit. Each item loads onto one of four subscales (Ease of Communication, Background Noise, Reverberation, and Aversiveness). Benefit is calculated by subtracting the aided average from the unaided average. The APHAB Benefit score (excluding the Aversiveness subscale) score will be used for analyses, with higher scores suggesting greater benefit.

  • Self-Perceived Hearing HandicapBaseline, 3 Months Post Phase I CSSAR Intervention, 3 Months Post Phase II CSSAR Intervention

    Change in self-perceived hearing handicap will be measured using the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory (R-HHI). Based on the original Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) and for the elderly (HHIE), the R-HHI consists of 18 items related to hearing-related aspects of psychosocial health including "Does a hearing problem cause you to feel left out when you are with a group of people." The respondent is asked to rate each item with "Yes", "Sometimes", and "No", which correspond to scores of 4, 2, and 0 respectively. Because the R-HHI contains common items across both HHIA and HHIE, it can be used for adults across all ages. The total score will be used for analyses, with higher scores corresponding to greater perceived hearing handicap.

  • Word Recognition in NoiseBaseline, 3 Months Post Phase I CSSAR Intervention, 3 Months Post Phase II CSSAR Intervention

    Change in word recognition performance will be measured using the Words in Noise (WIN) Test. The WIN consists of Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) monosyllabic words, a standardized set of phonetically balanced words commonly used to assess speech-recognition ability, presented in the presence of 6-talker babble that is fixed at 80 dB SPL. There are 35 target words spoken by a female talker within a single list for the WIN, with the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) decreasing from +24 dB (easiest) to 0 (most difficult) by 4 dB every 5 words. Following practice, two word lists will be administered and averaged to obtain a total score reflected as percent correct. WIN Lists 1 and 2 will be counterbalanced across participants and alternated across the follow-up visits to minimize systematic list-order and repeated-exposure. This total percent of words scored as correct across the two lists will be used for analyses with a higher percentage suggesting better performance.