Clinical Documentation

Hearing Handicap Inventory in the Elderly -- Screening Questionnaire

This assessment identifies patients who suffer from hearing deficit and may be handicapped by it.

Instructions: Answer Yes, No, or Sometimes for each question. Do not skip any questions even if your patient avoids a situation because of a hearing problem. If your patient uses a hearing aid, please answer according to the way they hear with the aid.

  1. Does a hearing problem cause you to feel embarrassed when you meet new people?
  2. Does a hearing problem cause you to feel frustrated when talking to members of your family?
  3. Do you have difficulty hearing when someone speaks in a whisper?
  4. Do you feel handicapped by a hearing problem?
  5. Does a hearing problem cause you difficulty when visiting friends, relatives, or neighbors?
  6. Does a hearing problem cause you to attend religious services less often than you would like?
  7. Does a hearing problem cause you to have arguments with family members?
  8. Does a hearing problem cause you difficulty when listening to TV or radio?
  9. Do you feel that any difficulty with your hearing limits or hampers your personal or social life?
  10. Does a hearing problem cause you difficulty when in a restaurant with relatives or friends?

Scoring: No = 0; Sometimes = 2; Yes = 4.

  • 0-8: No handicap
  • 9-25: Mild to moderate handicap
  • 26-40: Severe handicap

Equivalent Score in Minimum Data Set
(U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
ScoreInterpretation
0-8HEARS ADEQUATELY - normal talk, TV, phone
9-25MINIMAL DIFFICULTY when not in quiet setting
26-35HEARS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS ONLY - speaker has to adjust tonal quality and speak distinctly
36-40HIGHLY IMPAIRED - absence of useful hearing