How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study
Abstract Background Facemasks are routinely used among healthcare providers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they negatively impact speech perception. Our study investigated how speech perception using the word discrimination score (WDS) was affected by wearing surgical and KN95 mas...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-10-01
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| Series: | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-023-00520-1 |
| _version_ | 1797578569296117760 |
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| author | Nashwa Nada Mohamed Osama Tomoum Reham Mamdouh Lasheen |
| author_facet | Nashwa Nada Mohamed Osama Tomoum Reham Mamdouh Lasheen |
| author_sort | Nashwa Nada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Facemasks are routinely used among healthcare providers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they negatively impact speech perception. Our study investigated how speech perception using the word discrimination score (WDS) was affected by wearing surgical and KN95 masks while dealing with hearing-impaired healthcare recipients. Method This case–control study included 60 participants [15 with normal hearing and 45 with varied degrees of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)], for whom word discrimination scores (WDS) were evaluated under various mask conditions. Results On applying repeated measures of two-way analysis of variance (RM two-way ANOVA), there was statistically significant interaction (p = 0.0018), meaning that the level by which the mask affects the WDS depends on the underlying hearing level. Both main factors showed a statistically significant effect (p < 0.0001). Surgical masks had a lesser impact on speech discrimination compared to KN 95. Conclusions It was concluded that KN95 severely impacted the WDS among all groups relative to surgical mask and the no-mask condition. Although the high-frequency SNHL (HF-SNHL) group had mild hearing loss in the pure tone audiometry (PTA) average, they showed lower WDS relative to the mild to moderate flat SNHL (MM-SNHL). Moderately severe to severe SNHL expressed the worst values. As a result, the surgical mask is recommended over the KN95 mask since it provides better speech discrimination while giving adequate protection. These findings should be taken into consideration as they will have an impact on communication, especially in situations like hospitals where the patients must understand the instructors and healthcare providers very well. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:23:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eab93bcc288b49d5a1bfb9051e55f39a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2090-8539 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:23:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
| spelling | doaj.art-eab93bcc288b49d5a1bfb9051e55f39a2023-11-19T12:12:05ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology2090-85392023-10-0139111110.1186/s43163-023-00520-1How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control studyNashwa Nada0Mohamed Osama Tomoum1Reham Mamdouh Lasheen2Audiovestibular Unit, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityAudiovestibular Unit, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityAbstract Background Facemasks are routinely used among healthcare providers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they negatively impact speech perception. Our study investigated how speech perception using the word discrimination score (WDS) was affected by wearing surgical and KN95 masks while dealing with hearing-impaired healthcare recipients. Method This case–control study included 60 participants [15 with normal hearing and 45 with varied degrees of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)], for whom word discrimination scores (WDS) were evaluated under various mask conditions. Results On applying repeated measures of two-way analysis of variance (RM two-way ANOVA), there was statistically significant interaction (p = 0.0018), meaning that the level by which the mask affects the WDS depends on the underlying hearing level. Both main factors showed a statistically significant effect (p < 0.0001). Surgical masks had a lesser impact on speech discrimination compared to KN 95. Conclusions It was concluded that KN95 severely impacted the WDS among all groups relative to surgical mask and the no-mask condition. Although the high-frequency SNHL (HF-SNHL) group had mild hearing loss in the pure tone audiometry (PTA) average, they showed lower WDS relative to the mild to moderate flat SNHL (MM-SNHL). Moderately severe to severe SNHL expressed the worst values. As a result, the surgical mask is recommended over the KN95 mask since it provides better speech discrimination while giving adequate protection. These findings should be taken into consideration as they will have an impact on communication, especially in situations like hospitals where the patients must understand the instructors and healthcare providers very well.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-023-00520-1MaskPandemicSensorineural hearing lossSpeech discrimination |
| spellingShingle | Nashwa Nada Mohamed Osama Tomoum Reham Mamdouh Lasheen How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology Mask Pandemic Sensorineural hearing loss Speech discrimination |
| title | How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study |
| title_full | How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study |
| title_fullStr | How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study |
| title_full_unstemmed | How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study |
| title_short | How can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing-impaired patients’ perception of speech? A case–control study |
| title_sort | how can the routine use of face masks by medical professionals affect hearing impaired patients perception of speech a case control study |
| topic | Mask Pandemic Sensorineural hearing loss Speech discrimination |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-023-00520-1 |
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