105 4.1 First paediatric experience with ADHEAR Table 2: Statistical subgroup comparison of mean free field PTA Thresholds between each review point. Mean Threshold Difference Between Each Group dB HL p Value 95% CI Standard Error of Difference Unaided : Softband 19.0 0.0001 15.21 22.88 1.844 Unaided : V1 24.6 0.0001 20.37 28.81 2.028 Unaided : W4 26.3 0.0001 21.35 31.29 2.391 Softband : V1 5.6 0.0001 3.23 7.86 1.114 Softband : W4 7.3 0.0001 4.15 10.39 1.501 V1 : W4 1.7 0.163 -0.76 4.21 1.196 The results of paired t test analysis of the mean sound field hearing threshold (0.5 to 8 kHz) are demonstrated in Table 2. Softband device improved mean thresholds by 19 dB HL and the adhesive retained BC system by 26.3 dB HL after 4 weeks of use as compared to unaided tests. In addition, significant improvements between the adhesive retained BC aid and softband were measured in both visits. The mean improvement compared to softband was 5.6 dB HL at visit 1 (V1) and 7.3 dB at visit 2 (W4). A nonsignificant 1.7 dB improvement between visits was found with the adhesive retained BC system: a possible acclimation effect. A statistical improvement in thresholds is demonstrated with softband and adhesive aid use when compared with unaided. The adhesive aid improves mean thresholds at fitting (V1) and after 4 weeks of use (W4). There is however no statistically significant difference in the thresholds of the adhesive aid at V1 compared with W4. Subjective assessments on the impact of quality of life were made using the validated GCBI (32) from which the pattern of responses to the questions can also be split into four dimensions relating to emotion, physical health, learning, and vitality. Table 3 demonstrates the number of responses to each individual question of GCBI. Overall GCBI response scores increased following the use of the adhesive retained BC system for 4 weeks by 33 ± 25, further analysis shows a positive score in all four dimensions: Emotion 24 ± 27, physical health 20 ± 19, learning 36 ± 33, and vitality 24 ± 26 (Fig. 3). This indicated that there was a perceived benefit to using the adhesive system; however, there is a wide variation in responses with three participants demonstrating a negative overall score of -6, -8, and -17. In one of the participants this was due to whistling when wearing a headscarf. In addition, the 10 cm LAS was included to evaluate the subjective change in health status perceived by the patient before and after being fitted with the adhesive hearing system. The
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