Cost-effectiveness of hearing aids in South Korea: a multistate Markov model analysis.

Objectives: This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using hearing aids among individuals aged 50 and older with varying levels of hearing loss in South Korea.

Methods: A state-transition Markov model was employed to assess the cost-effectiveness of hearing aid utilization from a societal perspective. We simulated a cohort of patients aged 50, tracking their progression through normal, mild, moderate, and severe stages of hearing loss until death or age 80. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year gained was determined using both published and calculated data on the costs and effectiveness of hearing aids.

Results: The respective ICERs were $8,571 for men and $10,635 for women. These figures are significantly below the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $31,721, which corresponds to the per capita gross domestic product in 2020. The probabilities of cost-effectiveness were 83.6% for men and 73.4% for women at this WTP threshold. The lower ICERs observed in men can likely be attributed to the earlier onset of hearing loss and the rapid progression from normal, mild, moderate, and severe stages of hearing loss to death.

Conclusion: Hearing aids represent a highly cost-effective intervention for adults aged 50 and older in Korea, regardless of the degree of hearing loss, even in mild cases. In light of the rapidly aging population, it would be prudent for government policymakers to consider the costeffectiveness of hearing aids in their decision-making processes.