Fit to targets, preferred listening levels, and self-reported outcomes for the DSL v5.0 a hearing aid prescription for adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVE This study evaluated how closely the DSL v5.0 a prescription could be approximated with hearing aids, its relationship to preferred listening levels (PLLs) of adults with acquired hearing loss, and the self-reported outcomes of the resulting fittings. PARTICIPANTS Thirty adults with varying degrees and configurations of hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. METHODS Hearing aid output was measured after the initial fitting to DSL v5.0 a targets and after determination of the PLL after approximately 90 days. The Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI) was used to evaluate outcome. RESULTS The 95% confidence interval of fits to target ranged from 5.8 to 8.4 dB across frequency. The DSL v5.0 a adult algorithm approximated the PLLs of the participants within 2.6 dB on average. Hearing aid fittings provided positive subjective outcome improvements on the COSI. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that the use of DSL v5.0 a for the fitting of hearing aids on adults with acquired hearing loss was feasible and provided an appropriate initial fitting.