MM103 - Eyes Open, Ears On: Facilitating Hearing Technology Wear Time for Infants and Children

Abstract::

Eyes Open, Ears On (EOEO) is an interdisciplinary program created to support families of children with hearing loss to achieve hearing device use during all waking hours.

The EOEO program contains five components:
1. Setting wear time goals and assessing progress toward these goals. 2. Education on the benefits of full-time technology use, 3. Solutions for technology retention and use, 4. Family coaching, 5. Continual assessment of a family’s needs and adjustment of services to meet those needs. This presentation will describe the EOEO program and its impact on hearing technology wear time of infants and children.

Summary:
Research has shown hearing technology wear time influence the listening and spoken language outcomes children achieve (Park et al., 2019; Wolfe et al., 2021). As pediatric audiologists and listening and spoken language specialists working with children with hearing loss, are we monitoring data logging closely enough and providing appropriate support for families to achieve the goal of utilizing hearing technology during all waking hours? To answer these questions, children were enrolled in the EOEO program from April 2021 to October 2022. Audiologists and listening and spoken language specialists used data logging to measure hearing technology wear time (average hours of use per day) periodically and provided family-centered support associated with each of the five core components of the EOEO program listed above. The impact of the EOEO program on the average daily wear time of hearing technology was measured across time.

The EOEO program positively impacted the average amount of time children used their hearing technology per day. A description of specific results will be provided in this presentation. The EOEO components, factors, and solutions that influenced hearing technology wear time varied based on the needs of the families. Full-time use of hearing technology is most likely to occur when hearing healthcare professionals evaluate the specific needs of a family and customize interventions and services to meet those needs.

The EOEO program significantly increased hearing technology wear time for infants and young children. Optimal device wear time can be achieved with the provision of family-centered, interdisciplinary hearing healthcare that evaluates a family’s needs and customizes services and supports to meet those unique needs.