Awareness of Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Results of a Survey Conducted in 500 Subjects Across 5 European Countries as a Basis for an Online Awareness Campaign

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the factors which contribute to individuals’ health motivation to address hearing loss and to gather baseline data that could then be used to measure the impact of an awareness campaign. An online questionnaire with 13 closed set questions was completed by 100 subjects in each country including Austria, Germany, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The questionnaire was based around the Health Belief Model, which describes how, in order to take action to address a medical problem, the individual must perceive that the condition presents a threat to their well-being that exceeds any barriers to treatment. Good hearing was regarded as being important in all countries. There was agreement that the main sign of hearing loss was turning up the TV or radio. In most countries, hearing aids were thought to be not particularly visible, not require much maintenance, a hindrance while doing sport, and must be removed before bed. Perceptions of hearing implants were that they were permanently fitted, not externally visible, and do not need to be removed before bed. Medical issues were mostly researched through a doctor and then via the Internet. In this sample, there was a good understanding of the consequences and signs of hearing loss, but although hearing implants were viewed as being different to hearing aids, there was little understanding that the external speech processor was similar to a hearing aid in its physical characteristics. When actions were taken, the key professionals consulted about hearing problems were the general practitioner and ear, nose, and throat specialist.

Can a Digital Awareness Campaign Change Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding Cochlear Implants? A Study in Older Adults in 5 European Countries

“…The same questionnaire with 13 closed set questions as described in D'Haese et al 7 was used to collect data which was compared with baseline data collected from June 1, 2013 to July 31, 2013, prior to any advertising and reported by D'Haese et al 7 No ethics approval was required for the study as it was designed to investigate the health issues within a population in order to improve population health and there was no intervention. It was conducted according to the principles laid out in the Declaration of Helsinki.…”

“…6 There is a lack of awareness of CIs in both professionals and potential recipients. 7,8 In order to come forward to be assessed for a CI, individuals must feel that their hearing loss is severe and is affecting their quality of life. 9 However, the benefits of the treatment must outweigh the risks and barriers to receiving it.…”

“…Online media newspapers and journals were chosen as a cost effective medium in which to place the adverts and allowed readers to click on adverts to take them to a Web site providing further information. To measure the success of this approach, the same questionnaire and methods used in D'Haese et al 7 were used to assess whether the awareness campaign had any impact on the areas explored in the previous study in a prospectively recruited matched sample of adults aged between 50 and 70 years. The results of the questionnaires collected prior to the awareness campaign, reported in D'Haese et al, 7 were compared with the results obtained after the campaign.…”

The Need to Increase Awareness and Access to Cochlear Implantation

“…In the resulting data, good hearing was regarded as being important in all countries and when motivated to do so, people sought information from medical professionals, mostly GPs and ENT specialists, about their hearing problems [48]. There was agreement that the main sign of hearing loss was turning up the TV or radio.…”

Making the Case for Research on Disease-Modifying Treatments to Tackle Post-lingual Progressive Sensorineural Hearing Loss

“…Although many studies have confirmed significant improvement in speech understanding after cochlear implantation, even in aging patients, many potential adult CI candidates are unaware of this treatment option or opt out, with <10% of those with severe-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss receiving a cochlear implant (14). This low rate is widespread, regardless of geographical location, and is independent of how health services are organized and countryspecific economic output (15)(16)(17)(18). In contrast, congenital severeto-profound sensorineural hearing loss is identified at a very young age using universal neonatal hearing screening and the cochlear implantation rate in children is high (19).…”