TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF THE PROFILE OF HEARING-AID PERFORMANCE

This study was designed to replicate the test-retest reliability and c ritical difference components of the Profile of Hearing Aid Performanc e (PHAP) as established by Cox and Gilmore (1 990). Subjects were 18 e xperienced hearing aid users ranging in age from 62 to 74 years old. T he initial and retest administrations of the PHAP were conducted with no rehabilitative treatment pertaining to hearing loss or amplificatio n provided during the intervening period. The interval between the fir st and second administrations of the profile was 4-5 months. The mean test-retest difference scores obtained in this investigation were smal l, not unlike those reported by Cox and Gilmore (1990). Critical diffe rence (CD) values closely approximated those of the previous study exc ept for the Background Noise subscale and the Environment C scale. A p ooled estimate of each standard deviation of test-retest differences w as computed using data from both investigations. This resulted in crit ical differences considered to be more precise than the CD values deri ved from either study alone. Findings strongly support the utility of the PHAP as an effective tool for generating reliable information rega rding self-perceived hearing aid performance.