As an audiologist, I am often reminded of the estimated number of hearing aids that end up in patients’ drawers, rather than in their ears. Although the reasons for non-compliance with amplification are numerous and complicated, the patients’ reported perspective of their hearing difficulties and the impact on their lives is a significant element in the decision whether to use their hearing aid(s) or not. A self-assessment of hearing is therefore critical to the initial (joint) decision for intervention with whatever form of amplification used.
This second edition by William Noble is aimed at all audiological and research professionals with an interest in the role of self-assessment in the fields of hearing evaluation and related dysfunctions such as balance, tinnitus, cochlear and middle ear implants in adults. This edition updates and expands the original edition of the book to take into account new self-assessment measures and the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) reclassification of disability.
Noble provides a wide-ranging review of the theoretical issues surrounding the areas of disability / normality and puts forward an argument for the merit and routine use of self-assessment tools. The book is divided up into chapters relating to each dysfunction, with tables of relevant studies. One chapter covers in detail the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQHS), which Noble was involved in designing.
In summary, this book is a highly informative and comprehensive introduction to the numerous self-assessment tools available, and is an important reference for all hearing-related professionals who wish to evidence, quantify and validate individuals’ hearing and related dysfunctions and experiences.
