Long-Term Results of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy in Patients Who Failed to Complete the Program

<b>Purpose:</b> We aimed to evaluate the results of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) in patients who did not complete the program. <b>Methods:</b> We divided 90 patients who failed to complete the TRT program were into 3 groups: 36 patients who only completed the first phase of the TRT program (Missing group; M), 34 patients who attended counselling for less than 6 months (Noncompliant group; NC) and 20 patients who attended counselling for more than 6 months but did not complete the TRT program (Compliant group; C). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), tinnitus Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and a questionnaire regarding the reasons for dropout were obtained through a telephone survey. <b>Results:</b> Telephonic THI and VAS scores were significantly lower than the initial scores in the M and C groups but not in the NC group. Patients who were unsure about the effectiveness of TRT were prevalent in the NC group, and the poorest long-term THI results were registered in those patients. <b>Conclusions:</b> A fundamental cause of very poor TRT results was when patients were unsure about TRT. On the other hand, a single counselling session could be effective in reducing tinnitus annoyance in patients who accepted the TRT approach and trusted its efficacy.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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