Global and regional needs, unmet needs and access to hearing aids

Abstract Objectives: This article aims to estimate the global and regional needs, unmet needs and access to hearing aids, as well as the morbidity that can be averted by their use. Design: The study was based on Global Burden of Disease data. Study sample: Hearing impaired individuals “in need” of a hearing aid were defined as those in the moderate, moderately severe, and severe categories. Results: Globally, 401.4 million people are ‘in need’ of hearing aids. The large majority (83%) of them do not use hearing aids, with higher levels being in some regions such as the African region (90%). Accounting for hearing aid coverage reduced morbidity by 14.6% (95% UI 13.1- 16) – from 25 million YLDs to 21.3 million YLDs. It was estimated that if every single prevalent case in need would use a hearing aid, the burden of disease in this population would be reduced from the untreated 25 million YLDs to 10.3 million YLDs – a reduction of 59%. Conclusions: Development of innovative low-cost technologies with effective service delivery models, policy and regulatory changes to improve access, and combatting the stigma and lack of awareness are some of the potential solutions to improve access to hearing aids.

[1]  Bencie Woll,et al.  Deafness and hearing impairment. , 2010, European review for medical and pharmacological sciences.

[2]  Catharyn T. Liverman,et al.  COMMITTEE ON ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE HEARING HEALTH CARE FOR ADULTS , 2016 .

[3]  C. Stewart.  Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology; Hearing on Leadership Under Challenge: Information Technology R&D in a Competitive World (2007 report of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) , 2008 .

[4]  M. Jacobs,et al.  Survey of ENT services in Africa: need for a comprehensive intervention , 2009, Global health action.

[5]  H. Kuper,et al.  Prevalence and causes of hearing impairment in Africa , 2016, Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH.

[6]  F. Lin,et al.  Prevalence of hearing aid use among older adults in the United States. , 2012, Archives of internal medicine.

[7]  B. McPherson,et al.  A Fair Hearing for All , 2004 .

[8]  J. Ruusuvuori,et al.  Studies on stigma regarding hearing impairment and hearing aid use among adults of working age: a scoping review , 2019, Disability and rehabilitation.

[9]  B. McPherson.  Innovative Technology in Hearing Instruments , 2011, Trends in amplification.

[10]  K. Munro,et al.  The impact of self-efficacy, expectations, and readiness on hearing aid outcomes , 2016, International journal of audiology.

[11]  Mirjam Kretzschmar,et al.  Disability weights for the Global Burden of Disease 2013 study. , 2015, The Lancet. Global health.

[12]  B. Olusanya,et al.  Costs and performance of early hearing detection programmes in Lagos, Nigeria. , 2009, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

[13]  L. Ramma,et al.  Rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss: evaluating the need relative to provision of hearing aids in the public health care system , 2019, Disability and rehabilitation.

[14]  L. Wong.  Evidence on Self-Fitting Hearing Aids , 2011, Trends in amplification.

[15]  D. Maidment,et al.  Evidence-Based Interventions for Adult Aural Rehabilitation: That Was Then, This Is Now , 2019, Seminars in Hearing.

[16]  S. Kramer,et al.  The Association of Hearing Impairment and Chronic Diseases with Psychosocial Health Status in Older Age , 2002, Journal of aging and health.

[17]  Catharyn T. Liverman,et al.  Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability , 2016 .

[18]  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.

[19]  H. Kuper,et al.  Assessing health and rehabilitation needs of people with disabilities in Cameroon and India , 2016, Disability and rehabilitation.

[20]  Paul Mitchell,et al.  Incidence and predictors of hearing aid use and ownership among older adults with hearing loss. , 2011, Annals of epidemiology.

[21]  D. Stephens,et al.  Acceptability, benefit and costs of early screening for hearing disability: a study of potential screening tests and models. , 2007, Health technology assessment.

[22]  A. Boothroyd.  Adult Aural Rehabilitation: What Is It and Does It Work? , 2007, Trends in amplification.

[23]  A. Møller.  Epidemiology of Tinnitus in Adults , 2011 .

[24]  Jackson Roush,et al.  Year 2007 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs , 2007, Pediatrics.

[25]  M. Bush,et al.  Rurality and determinants of hearing healthcare in adult hearing aid recipients , 2017, The Laryngoscope.

[26]  H. Kuper,et al.  A Systematic Review of Access to Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries , 2018, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[27]  A. Bernabé-Ortiz,et al.  Disability, caregiver’s dependency and patterns of access to rehabilitation care: results from a national representative study in Peru , 2016, Disability and rehabilitation.

[28]  M. Bush,et al.  Factors involved in access and utilization of adult hearing healthcare: A systematic review , 2017, The Laryngoscope.

[29]  Gitte Keidser,et al.  Factors Associated With Successful Setup of a Self-Fitting Hearing Aid and the Need for Personalized Support. , 2018, Ear and hearing.

[30]  F. Lin,et al.  Personal Sound Amplifiers for Adults with Hearing Loss. , 2016, The American journal of medicine.

[31]  Heather Fortnum,et al.  Why do people fitted with hearing aids not wear them? , 2013, International journal of audiology.

[32]  Carole E. Johnson,et al.  A systematic review of health-related quality of life and hearing aids: final report of the American Academy of Audiology Task Force On the Health-Related Quality of Life Benefits of Amplification in Adults. , 2007, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

[33]  M. Wallhagen,et al.  The stigma of hearing loss. , 2010, The Gerontologist.

[34]  D. Monzani,et al.  Psychological profile and social behaviour of working adults with mild or moderate hearing loss. , 2008, Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale.

[35]  F. Lin,et al.  Increasing access to hearing rehabilitation for older adults , 2017, Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery.

[36]  Gitte Keidser,et al.  Outcomes With a Self-Fitting Hearing Aid , 2018, Trends in hearing.

[37]  M. Bush,et al.  Disparities in access to pediatric hearing health care , 2017, Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery.

[38]  Kristian Tambs,et al.  Moderate Effects of Hearing Loss on Mental Health and Subjective Well-Being: Results From the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study , 2004, Psychosomatic medicine.

[39]  P. Kitterick,et al.  Hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. , 2017, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[40]  T. Allain,et al.  Morbidity and disability in elderly Zimbabweans. , 1997, Age and ageing.

[41]  O. Lasisi,et al.  Challenges in management of childhood sensorineural hearing loss in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria. , 2006, International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology.

[42]  L. Worrall,et al.  Rehabilitation of Older Adults With Hearing Impairment: A Critical Review , 2010, Journal of aging and health.

[43]  N. Bhattacharyya,et al.  Association of Hearing Loss with Decreased Employment and Income among Adults in the United States , 2012, The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology.

[44]  F. Lin,et al.  Hearing loss and cognition among older adults in the United States. , 2011, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[45]  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.

[46]  H. Kuper,et al.  Social protection for people with disabilities in Tanzania: a mixed methods study , 2016 .

[47]  Ronald Klein,et al.  The impact of hearing loss on quality of life in older adults. , 2003, The Gerontologist.

[48]  Gitte Keidser,et al.  Self-Fitting Hearing Aids , 2016, Trends in hearing.

[49]  R. Ravi,et al.  Systematic review of knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practices for newborn hearing screening among healthcare professionals. , 2018, International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology.

[50]  Haniye Sadat Sajadi,et al.  Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 , 2018, The Lancet.

[51]  P. Mitchell,et al.  The Need for Improved Detection and Management of Adult-Onset Hearing Loss in Australia , 2013, International journal of otolaryngology.

[52]  Gitte Keidser,et al.  Self-Fitting Hearing Aids : Status Quo and Future Predictions , 2016 .