Adaptación transcultural al español del instrumento de evaluación de calidad de vida en pacientes usuarios de audífonos «Effectiveness of Auditory Rehabilitation»

Introduction and objectives: It is becoming increasingly important to have reliable and valid questionnaires. This becomes especially important when evaluating hearing loss. The aim of this work was to validate: the «Effectiveness of Auditory Rehabilitation» (EAR) questionnaire for the Spanish-speaking population. This instrument assesses quality of life and hearing aspects in patients using hearing aids. Material and method: Cross-sectional validation study. A cultural adaptation through the use of English to Spanish translations and re-translations was carried out. The validity and reliability of the newly adapted instrument were evaluated. Results: A total of 69 individuals (44 older adults and 25 younger adults) were examined. The pure-tone averages (PTA, 500, 1,000 and 2,000. Hz) were 47.3. dB HL and 47.1. dB HL for the left and right ears, respectively. The mean maximum speech discrimination in silence for monosyllables were 83.3% and 82.9% for the left and right ears, respectively. Internal consistency presented Cronbach alpha values of 0.85 and 0.77 for the internal and external dimensions, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.80 for the internal module and 0.85 for the external module. Construct validity reported a correlation coefficient of 0.71 at baseline and 0.76 at 3 months after the initial assessment for the internal module, and 0.62 at baseline and 0.74 at 3 months after the initial assessment for the external module. The size effects were 1.3 and 1.1 for the internal and external modules, respectively. Discussion: The Spanish version of the EAR questionnaire seems to be a reliable and valid instrument. The evaluation of audiological aspects, as well as aspects relating to aesthetics and comfort are the main strengths of this instrument. Finally, the EAR scale is more sensitive to change than other scales.