A qualitative systematic review of the impact of hearing on quality of life

Abstract

Purpose Hearing loss, deafness, and other hearing-related conditions can significantly impact quality of life; numerous qualitative studies have sought to describe these impacts. Synthesis of these findings may provide additional or more robust insights. Methods A qualitative systematic review of studies reporting qualitative data relating to the impact of hearing problems on adults’ health-related quality of life. A subset of studies was included in the review and subsequently analysed using a thematic approach. Results The literature search yielded 129 studies, of which 22 met our inclusion criteria and were included for analysis. The included studies, primarily from Australia, the UK, and the USA, involved approximately 450 participants with various hearing conditions. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were the most common data collection methods, with thematic analysis being the predominant analytical approach. Three overarching categories of descriptive themes were identified: Physical, Mental, and Social. Physical encompassed sound localization, sound clarity, speech, and physical fatigue. Social included relationships, isolation, communication, independence, work function, social stigma, and confidence. Mental encompassed depression, anxiety, listening effort, mental fatigue, fear, and identity. The identified themes shed light on the diverse domains of health-related quality of life affected by hearing conditions. Conclusion Differences in hearing function impact upon people’s health-related quality of life in a variety of ways relating to physical, mental, and social aspects of health, and these themes are clearly demonstrated across qualitative studies. These results will inform the development of hearing-specific questionnaire items for with the EQ-5D descriptive system, a commonly used patient-reported outcome measure.