Understanding Primary Care Providers' Attitudes and Practices for Hearing Loss Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Background: Behind arthritis and heart disease, hearing loss (HL) is the third most prevalent chronic condition in older Americans, with primary care providers playing a crucial role in its identification. Understanding the practices and perceptions of primary care providers in hearing health is key to understanding gaps in hearing health care for patients.Methods: We conducted a quality improvement study at an urban tertiary academic facility from January–June 2024. Primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants were surveyed on attitudes and practices regarding HL screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify patterns and trends.Results: Of 695 subjects queried, there were 62 respondents (response rate: 8.9 percent), most aged 41–55 years (n = 27, 43.5 percent). Many respondents reported they did not routinely screen patients for HL (n = 36, 59 percent), with lack of time being the most cited factor (n = 22, 62.9 percent). Some respondents indicated they followed Medicare guidelines for HL screening (n = 8, 32 percent), though the majority indicated they did not use specific guidelines (n = 15, 60 percent). Many providers reported they did not feel comfortable in their knowledge about hearing aids (n = 39, 62.9 percent) or cochlear implants (n = 51, 82.3 percent); in fact, 62.9 percent of the cohort reported they had never been educated about cochlear implants.Conclusions: These responses identify potential gaps in the hearing health care pipeline, particularly the need for standardized HL screening protocols and increased interprofessional training and education on HL treatments. Future endeavors to target these gaps should be assessed to see whether these gaps can be closed.