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[Subsidized project of hearing aid purchase for mild-moderate hearing impaired children in Akita prefecture]
Teruyuki Sato1, Misao Nakazawa, Shin Takahashi
1Department of Otolaryngology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita.
Insights
A subsidized hearing aid project in Akita prefecture successfully removed financial barriers for children with mild-moderate hearing loss. This initiative ensured all eligible children received hearing aids, improving language development access.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Public Health Policy
Context:
- Newborn hearing screening identifies mild-moderate hearing impairment early.
- Japan lacks a nationwide welfare system for these children.
- Akita prefecture initiated a hearing aid subsidy project in 2010.
Purpose:
- To assess the impact of a subsidized hearing aid purchase project for children with mild-moderate hearing impairment.
- To determine if the project alleviated financial burdens for families.
- To evaluate the accessibility of hearing aids under the new subsidy.
Summary:
- The Akita prefecture project provided subsidies for hearing aid purchases to all 18 eligible children.
- Eligibility was based on physician recognition of hearing aid effectiveness for language development.
- The project eliminated financial barriers that previously prevented some children from obtaining hearing aids.
Impact:
- The project demonstrated significant value by ensuring access to hearing aids for children with mild-moderate hearing impairment.
- It successfully addressed the financial challenges faced by parents, preventing them from foregoing hearing aids.
- This initiative highlights the importance of targeted welfare systems in supporting early intervention for hearing loss.
Abstract:
The dissemination of newborn hearing screening has detected children with mild-moderate hearing impairment at an early age. However, there is no nation-wide welfare system for children with mild-moderate hearing impairment in Japan. Under these kinds of social conditions, a subsidized project of hearing aid purchase for mild-moderate hearing impaired children has come into force from April 2010 in Akita prefecture. All 18 candidates who applied for this project were subsidized in Akita prefecture. Eighteen children purchased their hearing aids using this subsidy. The feature of this project was that every child could have access to subsidies as long as their doctor recognized the effectiveness of hearing aids because children with hearing impairment need to learn language. They contacted the hospital, prefectural government and institutes related to hearing loss before this project come into force. We recognized parents who are raising a child with mild-moderate hearing impairment have high interest in this project. Hearing aids can represent a considerable expense for young parents who are raising a child. We encountered some children who had to give up the idea of hearing aids due to their parents' economic circumstances before this project become effective. These situations were completely avoided after this project came into being. This administrative purpose was of demonstrated value in children with mild-moderate hearing impairment.
