An Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Clinical Trial in Rural Alabama: Project Design and Potential Implications for Pharmacy and Audiology Interprofessional Collaborations.

Over-the-counter hearing aids (OTC HAs) have the potential to help adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss across the US, especially in rural communities, where access to hearing healthcare is extremely limited or non-existent. The purpose of this study was to describe an OTC HA clinical trial being conducted in five rural counties of Alabama and to provide preliminary anecdotal data related to the use and care of these hearing aids by the participants. In brief, for this clinical trial, adults with hearing loss were randomly placed in one of three groups where they received varying levels of support for setting, using, and maintaining their OTC HAs. Listening tests and surveys were administered to assess the extent to which they benefitted from the hearing aids as related to word understanding, communication with others in natural settings, and hearing aid use and care. Currently, anecdotal findings suggested that, although some participants required very little support to successfully use their hearing aids, others had difficulty setting and caring for their devices and could have benefitted from individualized guidance. Future quantitative studies will assess the extent of support needed for successful hearing aid benefit and use. Potentially, collaborations among pharmacy and audiology professionals could lead to increased access to hearing healthcare by supporting the use and purchase of OTC HAs in rural pharmacy settings.

Halo- and azidodediazoniation of arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates with trimethylsilyl halides and trimethylsilyl azide and sandmeyer-type bromodediazoniation with Cu(I)Br in [BMIM][PF6] ionic liquid.

Reaction of [ArN(2)][BF(4)] salts immobilized in [BMIM][PF(6)] ionic liquid (IL) with TMSX (X = I, Br) and TMSN(3) represents an efficient method for the preparation of iodo-, bromo-, and azido-derivatives via dediazoniation. The reactions can also be effected starting with ArNH(2) by in situ diazotization with [NO][BF(4)] followed by reaction with TMSX or TMSN(3). Depending on the substituents on the benzenediazonium cation, competing fluorodediazoniation (ArF formation) and hydrodediazoniation (ArH formation) were observed. Dediazoniation with TMSN(3) and with TMSI generally gave the highest chemoselectivity toward ArN(3) and ArI formation. The IL was recycled and reused up to 5 times with no appreciable decrease in the conversions. Multinuclear NMR monitoring of the interaction of [ArN(2)][BF(4)]/TMSX, [BMIM][PF6]/TMSX, and [BMIM][PF(6)]/TMSX/[ArN(2)][BF(4)] indicated that TMSF is formed primarily via [ArN(2)][BF(4)]/TMSX, generating [ArN(2)][X] in situ, which gives ArX on dediazoniation. Competing formation of ArF in Sandmeyer-type bromodediazoniation of [ArN(2)][BF(4)] with Cu(I)Br immobilized in the IL points to significant involvement of heterolytic dediazoniation.