Eighty percent of Americans over 50 say the primary care physician has not asked about their hearing in the last two years, and almost as many – 77% – have been surveyed. by a professional in the same period, according to a new national voting report.
That is despite a growing body of evidence about the importance of listening to other aspects of life, from depression and the risk of falling to being able to stay connected with friends and family.
Men were more likely than women to say they had a recent screening or hearing test, so people aged 65 to 80 compared to those in their pre-Medicare years, according to the results from the National Vote on Aging Healthy, based at the University of Michigan Institute of Healthcare Policy and Innovation. But even among men and those over 65, 72% were undiagnosed.
Older adults who reported being in moderate or poor physical or mental health were less likely to have had a hearing test in the past two years. This was despite the fact that they were more likely to experience hearing issues.
Overall, 16% of older adults surveyed reported moderate or poor hearing ability. However, the percentage who said they had moderate or poor hearing rose to 28% among those who rated their physical health as moderate or poor, and 31% among those who rated their health. moderately good or poor mind.
Hearing loss can occur throughout life, but the risk increases with age as our ears lose function. Many people do not realize that they have lost their hearing ability unless they are screened or tested. It can be significantly affected by age – related hearing loss, and can be addressed with assistive technologies, but these data show a large gap in detection, and differences between groups. “
Michael McKee, MD, MPH, family physician and health services researcher at Michigan Medicine, UM academic medical center
McKee, and chairman of the Department of Family Medicine Philip Zazove, MD, who both use cochlear implants, worked with the polling team to improve the questions and examine the findings contained in the new poll report.
The census is supported by AARP and Michigan Medicine, and draws from the responses of a national sample of more than 2,000 adults ages 50 to 80.
Overall, 6% of older adults reported currently using a device to support their hearing, even though several studies show a degree of hearing loss. at least 50% of older adults.
Zazove notes that health insurance plans vary widely in their coverage of hearing screening with primary care providers, hearing tests with listeners and the purchase of hearing aids and cochlear implants.
“Carrying the cost of testing and equipment can be a barrier to timely care, as well as the social stigma associated with age-related hearing loss and device wear,” he says. “These findings represent a unique opportunity for primary care and audio care clinicians to better participate, and for health policy decision-makers to engage in this issue.”
Traditional Medicare does not cover standard hearing tests or devices, although it does encourage primary care providers to use standard hearing questionnaires about annual well-being cycles. Medicare Advantage plans and employer-based insurance plans may cover some hearing-related services, while Medicaid coverage varies by state, and Veterans Health coverage is typically for co-hearing issues. -connected with military service.
Despite the fact that most of them have not recently been screened or tested for hearing loss, 62% of older adults who have had the pole felt that such tests are something or very important. to have every two years.
“These election results are particularly timely with the anticipated U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s rules on over-the-counter hearing aids, which could improve accessibility but also make screening and testing more important to them. who could try to buy their own device without medication, “says Preeti Malani, MD, director of the NPHA, who has training in geriatrics as well as infectious disease and is a physician at Medicine Michigan.
Congress instructed the FDA to develop regulations for OTC hearing aids in 2017, which were expected to be published in August 2020 but were delayed due to COVID-19 pandemics.
“A person’s ability to hear has a profound effect on how they interact with others, loved ones, and the environment around them,” says Alison Bryant, Ph.D., senior lecturer head of research for AARP. “It is frustrating to find that most adults over 50 do not have a regular hearing test, and may not be aware that they have a hearing. shrinking. “
Source:
Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan