Synopsis
This is the first study to assess the clinical effectiveness of a remotely delivered, online telecare intervention before initial attendance at an audiology clinic, and before hearing loss management decisions have been made. Overall, our results suggest that, when used prior to a hearing assessment appointment, the WIMH Tool does not improve hearing aid self-efficacy, the primary outcome in this study, or hearing aid outcomes up to 10-weeks post-fitting. Despite this, the Tool appears to have the potential to improve patient readiness, helping patients who are ambivalent orreluctant to accept that they have hearing difficulties that require intervention and/or present withlower readiness to change