Test-retest reliability of the SSQ-12 questionnaire: for hearing-aid wearers using pen-and-paper administration method

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if the SSQ-12 (Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale – Short form) is a reliable questionnaire to assess hearingaid benefit for experienced hearing-aid wearers using the pen-and-paper administration method. Twenty-eight experienced hearing-aid wearers were recruited from the University of Canterbury’s audiology clinic database and from the general public. Participants were sent the SSQ-12 questionnaire 3 times at 6-week intervals. The participants’ responses across the three different administration times (T0, T1, and T2) were compared using a repeated measures ANOVA to determine if their answers remained stable over time, when no intervention was occurring. The results showed there were no significant differences between the SSQ-12 total or sub-scale scores for each participant’s T0, T1, and T2 data. Critical change scores were calculated for total, and sub-scale scores, to facilitate clinicians identifying whether a change in score is clinically significant. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate the SSQ-12 has good test-retest reliability for experienced hearing-aid wearers using the pen-and-paper administration method.