Demographic and Audiometric Profiles of Adults Accessing Audiological Services in Public Hospitals and Private Hearing Aid Centres in Malaysia.

Abstract

Background and objectives: We aimed to describe the demographic and audiometric profiles of adults accessing audiological services in Malaysia, including comparisons between public hospitals and private hearing aid centers and between the west and east coasts of Peninsular Malaysia.

Subjects and methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1,828 patient records, including 1,720 from public hospitals and 108 from private hearing aid centers.

Results: Patients in private centers were older (mean age, 65.99 years; standard deviation [SD], 16.97) and had more severe hearing loss (mean four-frequency average hearing loss [4FAHL], 50.56 dB HL; SD, 21.47) than those in public hospitals (mean, 53.83 years; SD, 16.91; mean 4FAHL, 39.37 dB HL; SD, 22.55). Patients on the west coast of Malaysia were slightly older (mean, 55.10 years; SD, 16.87) than those residing on Malaysia's east coast (mean, 53.18 years; SD, 17.76). Gender distribution differed according to region, with more males on the east coast (57.3%) than on the west coast (50.9%) but was similar across public and private settings.

Conclusions: Distinct demographic and audiometric trends were observed between service settings. Older age and more severe HL were associated with private care, whereas regional differences suggest the need for services that accommodate geographic variations.