Journal
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
Volume 43, Issue 25, Pages 3711-3716Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1751886
Keywords
Hearing impairment; hearing aids; motivation; rehabilitation; service outcomes; cost benefit analysis
Categories
Funding
- Office of Hearing Services, Australian Government
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The study found that providing rehabilitation services within publicly funded adult hearing services has an economic case, which can reduce waste and improve client outcomes.
Purpose: To examine the extent to which there is a basic economic case for the provision of rehabilitation services within a publicly funded, device-centred approach to adult hearing services. Materials and methods: Five representative cross-sectional surveys of people aged 50 years and over were conducted in Australia between 2013 and 2019 (n = 4663). Respondents were surveyed on self-rated hearing abilities, hearing aid usage and perceived benefits of device usage. A population estimate of non-device usage was derived from these data and the costs and benefits of the existing versus proposed hearing services pathways examined. Results: Among respondents 27% reported that their hearing was fair or poor, and 14% reported hearing aid ownership. 45% of hearing aid owners were regular device users. Approximately 1:4 people (24%) who owned a hearing aid had not used it in the past three months; with an estimated cost of $au87.4 million per annum. The provision of hearing rehabilitation services in addition to or instead of hearing aids could provide clients with a more comprehensive service at an estimated saving of between 62% to 81% of existing program costs. Conclusions: Cost benefit analysis supports the provision of hearing rehabilitation within a hearing services program, either as an alternative to the existing service, or adjunct to it. Such a service would enhance client outcomes and reduce the level of wastage currently associated with the current device-centred approach.
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