Affiliation:
1. Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, UK
2. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, UK
Abstract
Purpose
Ten percent of adults in England have some type of hearing loss and would greatly benefit from hearing aids or other forms of hearing management. However, 76% of these adults do not have hearing aids or other management. The impact of this unmet need can be substantial and has been linked to depression, social isolation, employment problems, loss of independence, and dementia. This article explores how hearing screening—universal, targeted, or opportunistic—can address prevalent, incident, and future needs for hearing services as well as better define the extent of need.
Method
Adults age ≥60 years living at home in England took part in a health survey, part of which was to determine the extent of need for hearing services in this population. Survey methods included a face-to-face interview and hearing screening using pure tones as well as a self-report questionnaire on other health issues.
Results
The survey highlighted additional hearing-related factors that will enable referral decisions in primary care to be made with reasonable confidence that patients will use hearing aids and benefit from them. Some relevant nonhearing factors are also reported.
Conclusion
There is a growing aging population with increasing needs and expectations for hearing services. Targeted screening and triage in primary care, as well as use of advanced technologies, are discussed for the future.
Publisher
American Speech Language Hearing Association
Reference10 articles.
1. Acceptability, benefit and costs of early screening for hearing disability: A study of potential screening tests and models;Davis A.;Health Technology Assessment Programme,2007
2. Activation among chronically ill older adults with complex medical needs: Challenges to supporting effective self-management;Gerber L. M.;Journal of Ambulatory Care Management,2011
3. Societal costs of hearing disorders: A systematic and critical review of literature;Hjalte F.;International Journal of Audiology,2012
4. Chronic diseases and risk for depression in old age: A meta-analysis of published literature;Huang C-Q.;Ageing Research Reviews,2010
Cited by
30 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献