Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2017 May;60(5):209-214. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2016.17139.

The Effect of Different Counselors on Treatment Outcome of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

• Kim WJ
• Kong JS
• Park SY
• Jung KH
• Kim RH
• Yeo SW
• Park SN

• KMID: 2379915
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2016.17139

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is one of the most effective treatment modalities of tinnitus based on the neurophysiological model proposed by Jastreboff and Hazell. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of counselor factor on treatment outcomes of TRT.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
The total of 78 patients who had TRT from three different counselors in a tinnitus clinic of tertiary referral center from Jan 2015 to Dec 2015 were included in this study. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the therapeutic response to TRT.
RESULTS
Among 78 patients who were followed-up for more than 6 months, 47, 20, and 11 patients were treated by counselors A, B, C (all ENT specialists), respectively. Counselor A had 15-year-experience of TRT counseling, whereas counselor B and C were well trained but beginners of TRT counseling. Initial clinical characteristics including Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and tinnitus Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores of the patients among three groups were not significantly different. Treatment responses evaluated via THI and most of the tinnitus VAS scores after at least 6 months after TRT were significantly improved in all three groups (p<0.05) with no significant difference between the senior (A) and junior (B, C) group.
CONCLUSION
TRT seems to be an effective treatment modality of tinnitus even in this short term follow-up study. Treatment outcomes of TRT may not depend on the counselors once they are well trained and follow the same protocol.

Keyword

Counselor; Tinnitus; Tinnitus retraining therapy

MeSH Terms

Counseling*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Medical Records
Methods
Retrospective Studies
Tertiary Care Centers
Tinnitus*
Treatment Outcome*