{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T01:41:44Z","timestamp":1776476504940,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,3]],"date-time":"2023-11-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1698969600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosglobalpublichealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Glob Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The process of adjusting and becoming accustomed to hearing aids may be best facilitated by providing a hearing aid trial period. Globally, there are no standardised frameworks or regulations on the recommended hearing aid trial period. The main purpose of this study was to explore audiologists\u2019 hearing aid trialing practices. A cross sectional study employed a quantitative, descriptive design to formulate the study. Ninety-five audiologists\u2019 were recruited by means of a purposive sampling strategy. Data were collected through the use of an online survey via Google forms. A pilot study was conducted prior to the commencement of the main study in order to ensure reliability of the main study. The results indicated that two weeks was the most recommended duration of a trial period from audiologists\u2019. Majority of audiologists\u2019 (72.63%) offer hearing aid trials to their patients. Most audiologists\u2019 who offer hearing aid trials choose to trial their patients with two different hearing aids. Findings revealed a need for trialing periods to become standard practice by audiologists\u2019 when fitting hearing aids. Not enough audiologists\u2019 are providing this service.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0002552","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,3]],"date-time":"2023-11-03T17:21:05Z","timestamp":1699032065000},"page":"e0002552","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Hearing aid trial periods: Audiologists\u2019 thoughts and practices in South Africa"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"3","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7363-1477","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Angie","family":"Heliopoulos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nomfundo","family":"Moroe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"pgph.0002552.ref001","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2023","journal-title":"Deafness and hearing loss"},{"key":"pgph.0002552.ref002","article-title":"Census 2001: Prevalence of Disability in South Africa","author":"Statistics South Africa","year":"2012"},{"issue":"1","key":"pgph.0002552.ref003","first-page":"105","article-title":"The prevalence of hearing impairment within the Cape Town Metropolitan area","volume":"63","author":"L Ramma","year":"2016","journal-title":"S Afr J Commun Disord"},{"key":"pgph.0002552.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12960-020-00488-6","article-title":"Sustainable workforce: South African Audiologists and Speech Therapists","volume":"18","author":"M Pillay","year":"2020","journal-title":"Human Resources for Health"},{"key":"pgph.0002552.ref005","volume-title":"Medical-Surgical Nursing Concepts and Practice","author":"SC deWit","year":"2013","edition":"2"},{"issue":"5","key":"pgph.0002552.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.3109\/14992027.2013.769066","article-title":"Why do people fitted with hearing aids not wear them?","volume":"52","author":"A McCormack","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J Audiol."},{"issue":"2","key":"pgph.0002552.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2183","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v19i2.43","article-title":"The disuse of hearing aids in elderly people diagnosed with a presbycusis at an old age home, in Johannesburg, South Africa: a pilot study","volume":"19","author":"N Moroe","year":"2019","journal-title":"Afr Health Sci."},{"issue":"4","key":"pgph.0002552.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.3766\/jaaa.16148","article-title":"Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Adoption and Use: A Qualitative Study.","volume":"29","author":"NE Gallagher","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Am Acad Audiol"},{"key":"pgph.0002552.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1044\/hhd17.1.37","article-title":"Auditory Training: Evidence for Neural Plasticity in Older Adults.","volume":"17","author":"S Anderson","year":"2013","journal-title":"Perspect Hear Hear Disord Res Res Diagn"},{"issue":"5","key":"pgph.0002552.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"262","DOI":"10.1080\/14992020500485650","article-title":"Audiology in South Africa","volume":"45","author":"W. 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