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Associations Between Hearing Loss and Health-Related Costs: A Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study
Marcello Tonelli1, Natasha Wiebe2, Tiffany Boulton3
1Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
American Journal of Audiology
|November 13, 2024
Summary
Hearing loss significantly increases direct healthcare costs, particularly for younger individuals and men. Addressing hearing loss can lead to substantial economic benefits through improved prevention and management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Audiology
Background:
- Hearing loss (HL) is a major global disability, yet its economic impact remains understudied.
- Understanding direct healthcare costs associated with HL is crucial for resource allocation and policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between hearing loss and direct healthcare expenditures.
- To identify specific subgroups experiencing higher costs related to hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective population-based cohort study (April 2008 - March 2019) using administrative health data.
- Inclusion of hospitalization, provider claims, ambulatory care, prescription medications, and long-term care (LTC) costs.
- Analysis of 4,424,632 participants, with 146,644 (3.3%) diagnosed with HL.
Main Results:
- Participants with HL incurred significantly higher annual healthcare costs ($6,871) compared to those without ($4,716).
- Higher costs in HL group were associated with provider claims, ambulatory visits, and medications, even after adjusting for comorbidities.
- Incremental costs were most pronounced in younger participants, men, and individuals with fewer comorbidities.
Conclusions:
- Hearing loss is linked to markedly higher healthcare costs, partly due to increased comorbidity burden.
- Effective prevention, recognition, and management of HL can yield significant economic benefits by reducing population-attributable costs.
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