Multimedia Hearing Handicap Inventory: Reliability and Clinical Utility

Abstract

Purpose This preliminary study evaluated the test–retest reliability, internal-consistency reliability, and listener reactions to the design and functional utility of the Multimedia Hearing Handicap Inventory (MHHI). Method Participants were 51 adults exhibiting hearing sensitivity ranging from normal hearing to severe hearing loss. Different test–retest sequences, using different combinations of the long and short programs of the MHHI, were administered to 3 experimental groups composed of 17 participants each. An exit interview was used to evaluate the MHHI’s clinical utility. Results Results revealed the MHHI to have high test–retest reliability and high internal-consistency reliability, and thus to have statistical properties similar to those of the original screening versions of the Hearing Handicap Inventories for Adults and for the Elderly. Participant feedback regarding the MHHI’s overall clinical utility, the informational content of its long program, and the Hearing Profile feature was highly positive. Conclusions Results demonstrate the clinical potential of a multimedia approach in advancing the audiologic rehabilitation process.