PURPOSE: To establish the demographic and audiological characteristics of subjects users of hearing aids (HA) that requested a return at a Hearing Health Service, and to identify and analyze the reasons for the return and conducts generated during the Emergency Care (EC). METHODS: Participants were 440 subjects older than three years, with diagnosis and provision of hearing aids at the service where the research was conducted. Demographic and audiological characteristics and the reason for the use of hearing aids were collected from medical records and specific form used at the EC. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The studied group was characterized mostly by female individuals, elderly, with incomplete elementary school education, moderate hearing loss, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Most subjects used hearing aids with binaural BTE. As for the time of use, more than 70% used the hearing aid for the first time, 38% did so for a period inferior or equal to 12 months, and more than 65% for more than eight hours a day. The conducts hearing aid adjustment and orientation were more frequent for subjects with shorter use of the device, while the conducts technical assistance and replacement were more common for subjects with longer use. CONCLUSION: To identify the characteristics of patients users of HA, as well as the reasons of the return and conducts generated by the demand, contributes to better organization and quality of the service provided.
Hearing aids; Hearing impaired persons; Continuity of patient care; Health services needs and demand; Emergency relief
