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Changing patient profile, hearing aid use and disability among first-time hearing aid users in Singapore over a
Eu Chin Ho1, Aruni Seneviratna2, Satya Vijay Reddy Medapati3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
Objectives:
To examine the time trends in demographics, hearing characteristics, hearing aid (HA) choices, usage and patient-reported disability among first-time HA users in Singapore over a decade.
Design:
Cross-sectional study. Study sample: 1052 subjects issued with HAs at a tertiary hospital from 2004 to 2013.
Results:
An increase in number of first time HA users were seen from 2004 to 2013. Although mean age did not change significantly, the proportion of older adults (>80 years) being fitted increased (p for trend = 0.033). Inflation adjusted cost of HAs rose over time (p < 0.001 for trend). Bilateral HA uptake increased (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.58 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.35-1.85) while use of customisable HAs decreased (AOR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.66-0.84) over the period. A decrease in the proportion of subjects reporting 5 or more disabilities (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.34-0.59) and using their HAs >7 hours daily (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.34-0.59) was seen.
Conclusion:
From 2004 to 2013, there was a positive trend towards HA uptake in Singapore. Bilateral HA uptake increased while customisable in ear type of HA use decreased. While hearing disability showed a decreasing trend, HA usage remained suboptimal.
