C A Green1, C R Pope. 1. Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, USA. carla.a.green@kp.org
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of hearing impairment on health-service use in an elderly population, controlling for factors associated with hearing difficulties known to affect utilization. METHODS: Diagnoses of hearing impairment, depression, and chronic illnesses were used in hierarchical regression procedures to predict the volume and probability of any service use among 1,436 randomly selected 65-year-old health maintenance organization members. RESULTS: Hearing impairment substantially increased the likelihood of making at least one visit to a health care provider (OR = 3.31, 95%; CI = 1.55-7.06). Among those who made such visits, however, hearing impairment did not lead to use of additional services despite expectations to the contrary. DISCUSSION: Further research should explore whether underutilization of services exists, and, if so, whether it stems from clinician or patient attitudes about the seriousness of hearing impairment, from a paucity of available treatment strategies, or from some combination of these and other factors.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of hearing impairment on health-service use in an elderly population, controlling for factors associated with hearing difficulties known to affect utilization. METHODS: Diagnoses of hearing impairment, depression, and chronic illnesses were used in hierarchical regression procedures to predict the volume and probability of any service use among 1,436 randomly selected 65-year-old health maintenance organization members. RESULTS:Hearing impairment substantially increased the likelihood of making at least one visit to a health care provider (OR = 3.31, 95%; CI = 1.55-7.06). Among those who made such visits, however, hearing impairment did not lead to use of additional services despite expectations to the contrary. DISCUSSION: Further research should explore whether underutilization of services exists, and, if so, whether it stems from clinician or patient attitudes about the seriousness of hearing impairment, from a paucity of available treatment strategies, or from some combination of these and other factors.
Authors: Dane J Genther; Joshua Betz; Sheila Pratt; Kathryn R Martin; Tamara B Harris; Suzanne Satterfield; Douglas C Bauer; Anne B Newman; Eleanor M Simonsick; Frank R Lin Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2015-06-11 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: Roni Peleg; Yan Press; Maya Asher; Tatyana Pugachev; Hadas Glicensztain; Mila Lederman; Aya Biderman Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2008-02-06 Impact factor: 2.655