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Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis

Dissertation (MA (Audiology))--University of Pretoria, 2021.

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Other Authors: Swanepoel, De Wet
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2021
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Swanepoel, De Wet
author_browse Swanepoel, De Wet
author_facet Swanepoel, De Wet
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MA (Audiology))--University of Pretoria, 2021.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:38:54.079Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/82976 Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis Swanepoel, De Wet theselton@ymail.com Heselton, Tayla UCTD Hearing aid Online Thematic analysis Experience Qualitative research Dissertation (MA (Audiology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. Hearing health care consumers are increasingly seeking online information regarding hearing aids and user experiences to aid their decision-making in seeking professional help or purchasing a hearing aid. One medium by which people gain information about hearing aids is through online consumer reviews. Yet, little is known about online hearing aid reviews and how they represent user experiences in relation to acquisition and use. This study used inductive thematic analysis to explore online hearing aid reviews. A retrospective design was used to extract 1,378 hearing aid reviews (open-text responses) from the www.hearingtracker.com website. Hearing aid users voluntarily reported on their hearing aid experiences in an open-text format. These responses were analysed using a qualitative inductive approach to identify themes within the dataset. The data was coded into meaningful units of information using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet by the student researcher and then cross-checked by an experienced researcher and supervisor, ensuring that the units themselves stayed true to their original meaning. Meaning units were then grouped by the researchers into domains, followed by categories of similar themes. Lastly the themes were grouped into categories of subthemes. From this analysis of the open-text reviews, three domains emerged from the data, containing eleven themes and 100 sub-themes. The Clinical Processes domain included themes of Hearing Assessment and Hearing Aid Acquisition. The domain The Device included themes of Function, Performance, Physical, Device Management and Maintenance. Lastly, The Person domain included themes of Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Personal Adjustment and Knowledge. The themes provided a rich description of the various factors, such as the hearing aid model, features, price, and the hearing health care professional factors that contribute to the hearing aid user experience. Hearing aid users’ reviews covered a range of positive, negative, and neutral descriptions about hearing aid user experience, including advice to other users that provide insight into hearing aid satisfaction and use. Most user experiences were positive regarding satisfaction and performance of the device, as well as device management. Generally, users felt more positive than negative about their hearing aid experience. They also felt more positive than indifferent when giving advice. The findings of this research could assist hearing health care professionals to develop a person-centered strategy to improve hearing aid fitting and user satisfaction. The hearing aid industry can also benefit from this knowledge, improving hearing aid design with information gained from comments covering aspects such as comfort and fit of the hearing aid. The approach of examining online user reviews has the potential to be a rapid way to develop knowledge about real-world hearing aid use and experience to inform person-centred practices. Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology MSc Unrestricted 2021-12-06T13:11:00Z 2021-12-06T13:11:00Z 2022-04 2021 Dissertation * A2022 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/82976 en © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Hearing aid
Online
Thematic analysis
Experience
Qualitative research
Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis
title Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis
title_full Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis
title_fullStr Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis
title_full_unstemmed Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis
title_short Online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use : A qualitative thematic analysis
title_sort online reviews of hearing aid acquisition and use a qualitative thematic analysis
topic UCTD
Hearing aid
Online
Thematic analysis
Experience
Qualitative research
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/82976