Clinical Characteristics and Hearing Aid Uptake Rate of Patients Seen at the Community Hearing Clinic: A Model of Upstream Preventive Care and Earlier Intervention

IF 0.4 Q4 AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY
K. Chua, Heng Wai Yuen
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Abstract

Background and Aim: Presbyacusis is one of the most common causes of hearing loss for seniors age above 60 years. Yet diagnostic hearing tests are not readily accessible to seniors in the community. Since 2018, the Ministry of Health in Singapore started a pilot program to screen them for their visual, oral, and hearing health in the community and improve accessibility to hearing healthcare. We describe the clinical characteristics of seniors presenting to Community Hearing Clinic (CHC) and compared hearing aid uptake rates with patients seen at a tertiary hospital. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study on Singaporeans with hearing difficulties presenting to the community clinics. Results: Attendance rates were generally positive at more than 80% and is comparable to the specialist outpatient clinic at the tertiary hospital. Hearing aid uptake rates were comparable between CHC and tertiary hospital at 61.9% and 66.9% respectively. Despite having better accessibility with direct access to the audiologists, and more financial subsidies, the eventual uptake rates of hearing aids are not clinically different at the CHC. Conclusion: CHC may be a viable model of improving accessibility to hearing healthcare with audiologists providing the 1st level of triaging safely. However, the cost-effectiveness of this model remains to be seen. Further health service research studies are warranted to determine the cost-effectiveness of sandbox CHC. Right-siting and expanding the sandbox to include access to hearing aid subsidies in private clinics may further help with this move beyond hospital to the community in line with our public health vision.   Keywords: Community health services; audiology; hearing aids; financing; governmental
社区听力诊所就诊患者的临床特征和助听器使用率:上游预防保健和早期干预模式
背景与目的:老年性耳聋是60岁以上老年人听力损失最常见的原因之一。然而,社区中的老年人并不容易获得诊断性听力测试。自2018年以来,新加坡卫生部启动了一项试点计划,在社区中筛查他们的视觉、口腔和听力健康,并改善听力保健的可及性。我们描述了到社区听力诊所(CHC)就诊的老年人的临床特征,并将助听器使用率与在三级医院就诊的患者进行了比较。方法:对到社区诊所就诊的新加坡听力障碍患者进行回顾性横断面描述性研究。结果:总体上座率为80%以上,与三级医院专科门诊相当。助听器使用率在CHC和三级医院比较,分别为61.9%和66.9%。尽管有更好的直接接触听力学家和更多的财政补贴,助听器的最终使用率在CHC没有临床差异。结论:CHC可能是一种可行的模式,可以提高听力保健的可及性,听力学家提供安全的第一级分诊。然而,这种模式的成本效益还有待观察。有必要进行进一步的卫生服务研究,以确定沙盒CHC的成本效益。正确定位和扩大沙箱,使其包括在私人诊所获得助听器补贴,这可能进一步有助于从医院向社区转移,符合我们的公共卫生愿景。关键词:社区卫生服务;听力;助听器;融资;政府
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来源期刊
Auditory and Vestibular Research
Auditory and Vestibular Research Medicine-Otorhinolaryngology
CiteScore
0.60
自引率
20.00%
发文量
0
审稿时长
12 weeks
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