Abstract
Objectives: Age is the most common predictor of hearing loss; however, many older adults are not screened. Hearing screening could improve healthcare access, participation, and outcomes. Establishing whether hearing screening in older adults is cost-effective could improve the availability and utilization of screening. Methods: We searched nine databases in January 2020. Studies with populations aged 50+ and provided data on the cost-effectiveness of hearing screening were included in the review. Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria and all found hearing screening programs to be cost-effective compared to no hearing screening, regardless of screening method (i.e., instrument or strategy). The maximum number of repeated screenings, coupled with younger ages, was most cost-effective. Discussion: This review suggests that hearing screening in older adults is cost-effective, however, the evidence is limited. There is pressing need for research focused on economic impacts of hearing healthcare in older adults to inform research, policy and practice.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Research on Aging |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 2021 |
Keywords
- cost
- economic evaluation
- hearing loss
- hearing screening
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Health(social science)
- Geriatrics and Gerontology