Screening for hearing impairment in hospitalised elderly

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Audiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Hearing impairment is a common, yet often overlooked, condition in the elderly.
• Hospitalized elderly patients represent a vulnerable population with potentially high rates of undiagnosed hearing loss.
• Early identification and intervention are crucial for improving quality of life and health outcomes in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of hearing impairment in hospitalized elderly patients.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Welch Allyn Audioscope 3 for screening hearing loss in this population.
• To explore factors associated with the desire for hearing aids among impaired patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective screening of 70 consecutive geriatric patients admitted to an acute care ward over four weeks.
• Utilized the Welch Allyn Audioscope 3 at 40 dB across speech frequencies (500, 1000, 2000 Hz).
• Assessed hearing via conversation at arm's length and whispered voice tests; audioscopy followed conventional otoscopy.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of hearing impairment was found, affecting 67.1% (47/70) of the study group.
• Only 46.8% of hearing-impaired patients reported hearing difficulties; many did not desire hearing aids.
• The whispered voice test and audioscope screening identified more impairment than conversation tests alone.

Conclusions:

• Hearing impairment is highly prevalent in hospitalized elderly patients, necessitating routine screening.
• The Welch Allyn Audioscope 3 is effective in identifying hearing impairment, but does not increase hearing aid uptake.
• Further counseling and audiological assessment are needed for patients identified with hearing loss who may benefit from hearing aids.