Article
Quality management in tinnitus therapy
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Published: | July 8, 2008 |
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Introduction: The Tinnituscentre Detmold (TZD) instructs its participants in several strategies to overcome tinnitus during a weekend-seminar [Ref. 1]. It was found that a small part of the participants (5-7%) did not show a long-term reduction or even had a higher psychological strain of tinnitus than before.
Method: 29 patients (10 female; mean age: 49 years) completed the CFT 20-R [Ref. 2] during a one-weekend-seminar in the TZD. Additionally to the CFT 20-R the participants completed the tinnitus-questionnaire [Ref. 3] and the audiological-strain-inventory [Ref. 4]. The latter two were assessed four times (pre and post therapy and catamnestic after 6 and 12 months).The results of the CFT20-R were compared with the data collected with the other two questionnaires.
Results: An IQ of 100 is average in the German population. We used this mark to split our participants in two groups. There were 9 participants with an IQ of less than 100 (mean: 91.7) and a group of 20 participants with an IQ of more than 100 (mean: 111.7).
If you compare the pre- and post- therapy data of the two groups, you can see that the group of patients with the higher IQ suffers more prior to therapy but has a stronger reduction of the suffering under tinnitus after the therapy.
You can see, that after 12 months both groups show the same suffering under tinnitus.
Conclusion:
- The IQ of patients that have a higher psychological strain of tinnitus seems to be above average.
- Patients with an IQ above average have more success in following strategies to overcome tinnitus; more intelligent patients are more successful in accepting post-therapeutic advices.
These results show that it is important to put more effort in the individual tinnitus-education of every patient.
References
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- Pilgramm M, Lebisch H. Tinnituskompaktkur – integrierte Versorgung bei chronischen Tinnituspatienten – erste Ergebnisse, Tagung – CD. 9. Jahrestag Dt. Gesellsch. für Audiologie Köln. ISBN 3-9809969-5-0.
- 2.
- Weiß H, Weiß B. CFT 20-R Grundintelligenztest. Göttingen: Hofgräfe Verlag; 2006.
- 3.
- Göbel G, Hiller G. Verhaltensmedizinische Diagnostik bei chronsichem Tinnitus mit Hilfe des Tinnitusfragebogens (TF). Diagnostika. 1994;2:155-67.
- 4.
- Pilgramm M, Lebisch H, Pehle W. Ein neues Frageninventar zur Schwerpunktbestimmung des Leidensdruckes bei chronischen Tinnituspatienten. Z Audiol. 2001;Suppl.II:191-2.