Early screening for adult hearing impairments
News release from the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment
14 November 2007
Research published by the NIHR HTA programme shows that hearing impairment in adults is a major public health problem, with one in ten people aged 55-74 in the UK having substantial hearing problems. The research went on to assess the acceptability, benefit and costs of early screening for hearing disability. The study suggests that systematic screening of people aged 55–74 could provide substantial benefit, is acceptable, cost-effective, and meets the National Screening Committee's criteria in most respects
Researchers from the MRC Hearing and Communication Group at the University of Manchester involved over 35,000 people in the study to find out the prevalence of reported hearing problems, the uptake of primary care and specialist hearing services, and the acceptability, benefits and performance of different screening programmes. They conducted case-control studies with patients fitted with hearing aids after screening several years previously to assess long-term compliance, and undertook an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of potential screening programmes.
The researchers found that 12 per cent of people aged 55–74 have a hearing problem, but only three per cent of them have hearing aids. Systematic screening was found to be more effective and acceptable than an opportunistic screening programme.
“Hearing impairment in adults is extremely common and numbers are expected to rise due to the ageing population. However, it often takes up to 10 years for someone to recognise they have a hearing problem and do something about it,” says lead researcher Professor Adrian Davis . “Our research suggests that systematic screening could be beneficial and cost-effective, especially for people aged 55-74, but more research is required to test this properly.” The report suggests that there is need for a larger scale, evaluated pilot study of early screening to investigate further how such a screening programme for hearing impairment might work in the NHS.
Professor Adrian Davis, who has received an OBE for services to healthcare, is director of the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme and the Medical Research Council Hearing and Communication Group.
The study is published in the internationally acclaimed Health Technology Assessment journal series Vol.11.42. To view and download the full report visit www.hta.ac.uk/project/1025.asp
Notes for editors
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The HTA programme is a programme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and produces high quality research information about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest of the NIHR programmes and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with more than 400 issues published to date. The journal’s 2006 Impact Factor (5.29) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk The HTA programme is coordinated by the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA), based at the University of Southampton.
- The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk
Contact details
Naomi Stockley, Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 646, Email: ns5@soton.ac.uk
Helen Nikandrou, Assistant Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 584, Email: h.nikandrou@soton.ac.uk
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