Papers by Christine DePlacido
Journal of Public Health, Jul 31, 2019
Background. The population of older people in residential homes is projected to rise. There are u... more Background. The population of older people in residential homes is projected to rise. There are unrecognised hearing difficulties among residents and prevalence of hearing loss in this population is underreported. This can result in an overestimation of levels of cognitive impairment. Untreated hearing loss is associated with social isolation, depression, disruptive behaviour and cognitive decline. This study aimed to explore the provision of hearing care (hearing assessment, rehabilitation and staff training) in Scottish care homes for older people. Methods. A survey comprising 18 questions was distributed to the managers (or designated staff members) of 659 care homes across Scotland. Results. Responses were obtained from 154 care homes. The results support existing evidence that hearing is not assessed in the majority of homes, resulting in under detection of hearing loss. Staff lack training in supporting residents' hearing needs. Access to hearing care in residential homes differs across health board areas. Conclusions. There is an urgent requirement for hearing assessment of older adults on admission to residential care. Care providers require this information to construct effective care plans and mitigate the effects of hearing loss. Those responsible for providing hearing rehabilitation services require information about service users to address any unmet need.
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Jul 30, 2014
Reminders are often part of interventions to help older people adhere to complicated medication r... more Reminders are often part of interventions to help older people adhere to complicated medication regimes. Computergenerated (synthetic) speech is ideal for tailoring reminders to different medication regimes. Since synthetic speech may be less intelligible than human speech, in particular under difficult listening conditions, we assessed how well older people can recall synthetic speech reminders for medications. 44 participants aged 50-80 with no cognitive impairment recalled reminders for one or four medications after a short distraction. We varied background noise, speech quality, and message design. Reminders were presented using a human voice and two synthetic voices. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Reminder recall was satisfactory if reminders were restricted to one familiar medication, regardless of the voice used. Repeating medication names supported recall of lists of medications. We conclude that spoken reminders should build on familiar information and be integrated with other adherence support measures.
Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 2018
As online programmes in higher education continue to grow in number, the literature identifies em... more As online programmes in higher education continue to grow in number, the literature identifies emerging areas of concern. Whilst appreciating the flexibility and accessibility of online learning, learners often experience challenges in balancing their professional and personal lives whilst studying. In addition, such students have complained that their online educational experiences may be irrelevant and inappropriate, with tutors having limited presence or interest. Online learners’ experiences are contingent upon the skills and characteristics of the tutors, who face the challenges of changing and developing practices, such as taking a more student-centred approach in order to provide opportunities that foster deep learning. Current, familiar practices may no longer be appropriate. There is a need to support tutors as they develop and expand their practices, facilitating familiarity and confidence with the opportunities afforded by a range of technologies. Research indicates that ...
Meeting the challenges of an ageing society
Many factors affect the intelligibility of synthetic speech. One aspect that has been severely ne... more Many factors affect the intelligibility of synthetic speech. One aspect that has been severely neglected in past work is hearing loss. In this study, we investigate whether pure-tone audiometry thresholds across a wide range of frequencies (0.25-20kHz) are correlated with participants' performance on a simple task that involves accurately recalling and processing reminders. Participants' scores correlate not only with thresholds in the frequency ranges commonly associated with speech, but also with extended high-frequency thresholds.
Abstract This paper summarises the main results of a pilot study into the effect of auditory agei... more Abstract This paper summarises the main results of a pilot study into the effect of auditory ageing on the intelligibility of synthetic speech. 32 older and 12 younger users had to answer simple questions about a series of meeting reminders and medication reminders. They also underwent an extensive battery of audiological and cognitive assessments. Older users only had more difficulty understanding the synthetic voice than younger people if they had elevated pure-tone thresholds and if they were asked to unfamiliar medication names. ...
In this paper, we report on an experiment that tested users' ability to understand the content of... more In this paper, we report on an experiment that tested users' ability to understand the content of spoken auditory reminders. Users heard meeting reminders and medication reminders spoken in both a natural and a synthetic voice. Our results show that older users can understand synthetic speech as well as younger users provided that the prompt texts are well-designed, using familiar words and contextual cues. As soon as unfamiliar and complex words are introduced, users' hearing affects how well they can understand the synthetic voice, even if their hearing would pass common screening tests for speech synthesis experiments. Although hearing thresholds correlate best with users' performance, central auditory processing may also influence performance, especially when complex errors are made.
estimated 50 million people in the United States experience tinnitus. Fortunately, 95% to 97% of ... more estimated 50 million people in the United States experience tinnitus. Fortunately, 95% to 97% of all people who perceive tinnitus are not disabled by their tinnitus.2 That is, for 95% to 97% of the people who perceive tinnitus, they may notice it now and then, but their tinnitus does not cause stress, anxiety, or depression, or cause them to lose sleep. Instead, they relegate tinnitus to the background, and they habituate to it without very much effort and without discomfort. However, some people are not able to habituate to their tinnitus. For them, tinnitus is a major problem that may significantly attenuate quality of life and may significantly facilitate and exacerbate behavioral and physiological problems. Clearly, the majority of hearing care professionals (HCPs, audiologists, otolaryngologists, and hearing aid dispensers) manage patients with tinnitus every day. Therefore, the goal of this article is to review contemporary thoughts and findings, as well as the status quo, wit...
In the paper recently proposed Human Factor Cepstral Coefficients (HFCC) are used to automatic re... more In the paper recently proposed Human Factor Cepstral Coefficients (HFCC) are used to automatic recognition of pathological phoneme pronunciation in speech of impaired children and efficiency of this approach is compared to application of the standard Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) as a feature vector. Both dynamic time warping (DTW), working on whole words or embedded phoneme patterns, and hidden Markov models (HMM) are used as classifiers in the presented research. Obtained results demonstrate superiority of combining HFCC features and modified phoneme-based DTW classifier.
EFAS/DGA 2007 Random gap detection threshold: a useful measure of auditory aging? Owens, D. (1, 2... more EFAS/DGA 2007 Random gap detection threshold: a useful measure of auditory aging? Owens, D. (1, 2), Campbell, P.E. (1), Liddell, A. (1, 2), DePlacido, C. (1), Wolters, M. (2) (1) Audiology Division, Speech and Hearing Science Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK (2) Centre for Speech Technology Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK OBJECTIVE: Temporal processing deficits are believed to contribute to older adults difficulties in understanding speech in background noise. Recent consensus studies have advocated the use of at least one measurement of temporal processing in the diagnosis of auditory processing disorders. However, there has been little or no evidence to support the use of such testing particularly among older adults. This is further compounded by the lack of age related normative data for the click gap detection subtest. We present our recent findings from a commercially available Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT). DESIGN: The RGDT recording con...
Journal Of Public Health, 2019
Background The population of older people in residential homes is projected to rise. There are un... more Background The population of older people in residential homes is projected to rise. There are unrecognized hearing difficulties among residents and prevalence of hearing loss in this population is underreported. This can result in an overestimation of levels of cognitive impairment. Untreated hearing loss is associated with social isolation, depression, disruptive behaviour and cognitive decline. This study aimed to explore the provision of hearing care (hearing assessment, rehabilitation and staff training) in Scottish care homes for older people. Methods A survey comprising 18 questions was distributed to the managers (or designated staff members) of 659 care homes across Scotland. Results Responses were obtained from 154 care homes. The results support existing evidence that hearing is not assessed in the majority of homes, resulting in under detection of hearing loss. Staff lack training in supporting residents’ hearing needs. Access to hearing care in residential homes differs...
Many factors affect the intelligibility of synthetic speech. One aspect that has been severely ne... more Many factors affect the intelligibility of synthetic speech. One aspect that has been severely neglected in past work is hearing loss. In this study, we investigate whether pure-tone audiometry thresholds across a wide range of frequencies (0.25‐20kHz) are correlated with participants’ performance on a simple task that involves accurately recalling and processing reminders. Participants’ scores correlate not only with thresholds in the frequency ranges commonly associated with speech, but also with extended high-frequency thresholds.
Acquired hearing impairment affects one in six people in the United Kingdom. The process of becom... more Acquired hearing impairment affects one in six people in the United Kingdom. The process of becoming hearing impaired and seeking help is different for each individual and consequently very little is known about their personal experience of this journey. The aim of this thesis was to explore the essence of the experience of acquiring hearing impairment from the individual’s perspective, in order to better understand and meet the needs of clients seeking aural rehabilitation. Data was generated in the Phenomenological tradition using unstructured interviews and analysed using a constant comparison method drawn from Grounded Theory. Participants were recruited from the UK and the USA. Individual participant’s experience ranged from those who had not yet approached services, to those who had worn hearing aid/s for several years. Data is comprised of 24 recorded interviews, reflective journals, field notes and memos. Each interview, journal, field note and memo was coded and analysed to...
Seminars in Hearing, 2012
ABSTRACT Reflection is considered a deliberate process of learning from experience with the goal ... more ABSTRACT Reflection is considered a deliberate process of learning from experience with the goal of realizing effective and rewarding patient and personal outcomes. Reflective thinking has become incorporated into clinical practice and education across health-care professions. Facilitators for development of reflection and reflective practice include appropriate timing, a supportive environment, feedback, and mentorship. This article introduces the reader to models and forms of reflection, discusses facilitators and detractors to effective reflection, and reviews critical commentary. The Reflective Journal, 4 Habits of Effective Audiologic Service, and Self Reflection of Learning are three tools that guide students or practitioners in reflective activities.
Reminders are often part of interventions to help older people adhere to complicated medication r... more Reminders are often part of interventions to help older people adhere to complicated medication regimes. Computer-generated (synthetic) speech is ideal for tailoring reminders to different medication regimes. Since synthetic speech may be less intelligible than human speech, in particular under difficult listening conditions, we assessed how well older people can recall synthetic speech reminders for medications. 44 participants aged 50-80 with no cognitive impairment recalled reminders for one or four medications after a short distraction. We varied background noise, speech quality, and message design. Reminders were presented using a human voice and two synthetic voices. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Reminder recall was satisfactory if reminders were restricted to one familiar medication, regardless of the voice used. Repeating medication names supported recall of lists of medications. We conclude that spoken reminders should build on familiar information and be integrated with other adherence support measures.
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Papers by Christine DePlacido