How Can Public Health Approaches and Perspectives Advance Hearing Health Care?

This commentary explores the role of public health programs and themes on hearing health care. Ongoing engagement within the hearing professional community is needed to determine how to change the landscape and identify important features in the evolution of population hearing health care. Why and how to leverage existing public health programs and develop new programs to improve hearing health in older individuals is an important topic. Hearing professionals are encouraged to reflect on these themes and recommendations and join the discussion about the future of hearing science on a population level.

[1]  vahid rashed,et al.  international classification of functioning , 2012 .

[2]  M. Wallhagen Access to care for hearing loss: policies and stakeholders. , 2014, Journal of gerontological nursing.

[3]  Adrian Davis,et al.  Adult hearing screening: health policy issues--what happens next? , 2013, American journal of audiology.

[4]  Suhana Alam,et al.  Progress in Identifying Infants with Hearing Loss — United States, 2006–2012 , 2015, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report.

[5]  Howard W. Francis,et al.  The Socioeconomic Impact of Hearing Loss in U.S. Adults , 2015, Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology.

[6]  P. Mitchell,et al.  Hearing loss impacts on the use of community and informal supports. , 2010, Age and ageing.

[7]  Julia Muennich Cowell,et al.  Population Health , 2016, The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses.

[8]  H. Hoffman,et al.  Hearing Threshold Levels at Age 70 Years (65–74 Years) in the Unscreened Older Adult Population of the United States, 1959–1962 and 1999–2006 , 2012, Ear and hearing.

[9]  W. Murphy,et al.  Americans Hear as Well or Better Today Compared With 40 Years Ago: Hearing Threshold Levels in the Unscreened Adult Population of the United States, 1959–1962 and 1999–2004 , 2010, Ear and hearing.

[10]  M. Albert,et al.  Hearing impairment and cognitive decline: a pilot study conducted within the atherosclerosis risk in communities neurocognitive study. , 2015, American journal of epidemiology.

[11]  S. Teutsch,et al.  A Framework for Public Health in the United States , 2010 .

[12]  Mailcode Bicc Universal Newborn Hearing Screening: Systematic Review to Update the 2001 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation , 2008 .

[13]  Janet J Ehlers,et al.  Noise-induced hearing loss in agriculture: creating partnerships to overcome barriers and educate the community on prevention. , 2011, Noise & health.

[14]  D. Feeny,et al.  Hearing, mobility, and pain predict mortality: a longitudinal population-based study. , 2012, Journal of clinical epidemiology.

[15]  K. Gebbie,et al.  Who will keep the public healthy?: Educating public health professionals for the 21st century. , 2003 .

[16]  Luigi Ferrucci,et al.  Hearing loss prevalence and risk factors among older adults in the United States. , 2011, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[17]  R C Coile,et al.  The future of public health. , 1990, Hospital strategy report.

[18]  V. Gudnason,et al.  Impairments in hearing and vision impact on mortality in older people: the AGES-Reykjavik Study. , 2014, Age and ageing.

[19]  M. Morikawa,et al.  Self‐Reported Hearing Loss Predicts 5‐Year Decline in Higher‐Level Functional Capacity in High‐Functioning Elderly Adults: The Fujiwara‐Kyo Study , 2015, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[20]  Luigi Ferrucci,et al.  Hearing loss and falls among older adults in the United States. , 2012, Archives of internal medicine.

[21]  C E Winslow,et al.  THE UNTILLED FIELDS OF PUBLIC HEALTH. , 2017, Science.

[22]  Howard J Hoffman,et al.  Hearing impairment associated with depression in US adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2010. , 2014, JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery.

[23]  Adrian Davis,et al.  Aging and Hearing Health: The Life-course Approach. , 2016, The Gerontologist.

[24]  ROBERT W. Johnson,et al.  Healthy people. , 1985, Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique.

[25]  U. Bauer,et al.  [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)]. , 2000, Annales de dermatologie et de venereologie.

[26]  R. Adams,et al.  Improving health outcomes with better patient understanding and education , 2010, Risk management and healthcare policy.

[27]  W. Strawbridge,et al.  Negative consequences of hearing impairment in old age: a longitudinal analysis. , 2000, The Gerontologist.

[28]  Luigi Ferrucci,et al.  Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults: questions and answers , 2014, Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

[29]  K. Pichora-Fuller,et al.  Cognitive Decline and Hearing Health Care for Older Adults. , 2015, American journal of audiology.