Difficulty Hearing Is Associated With Low Levels of Patient Activation.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Audiology

Background:

• Patient activation is crucial for effective healthcare participation.
• Hearing loss can impede communication, potentially reducing patient engagement.
• Older adults are a vulnerable population for both hearing loss and lower activation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between self-reported hearing difficulty and patient activation levels in older Americans.
• To quantify the risk of low patient activation associated with varying degrees of hearing impairment.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) from 2011-2013.
• Inclusion of a nationally representative sample of 13,940 Americans aged 65 years and older.
• Analysis of self-reported hearing difficulty and patient activation scores, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Main Results:

• 40.6% reported 'a little trouble' hearing; 6.4% reported 'a lot of trouble' hearing.
• Significant association found between hearing difficulty and low patient activation.
• Individuals with 'a little trouble' hearing had 1.42x risk of low vs. high activation; 'a lot of trouble' had 1.70x risk.

Conclusions:

• Nearly half of adults aged 65+ experience hearing difficulty, increasing their risk of low patient activation.
• The risk of low patient activation escalates with greater hearing difficulty.
• Addressing aural communication barriers is essential for improving healthcare quality and outcomes for individuals with hearing loss.