Access to Hearing Healthcare and Barriers Among United States Veterans: A Survey‐Based Study
Objective
We investigated use of hearing care among US veterans and explore motivations, barriers, and adherence to hearing healthcare.
Study Design
Cross‐sectional online survey.
Setting
US Veterans.
Methods
This cross‐sectional, online survey‐based study included 287 respondents who identified themselves as veterans on ResearchMatch (NIH‐sponsored national registry of research volunteers). Questions regarding hearing loss, tinnitus, use of hearing care, and facilitators/barriers to hearing care were asked. Descriptive statistics were utilized for data analysis.
Results
In this cohort, the rate of self‐reported hearing loss and tinnitus were 61.0% and 74.2%, respectively. Among these, 66.9% of those with hearing loss and 36.2% of those with tinnitus reported seeking hearing care. Most important motivators of seeking hearing care (average on 1‐5 Likert scale) included personal importance of hearing (4.0; SD = 1.1), difficulty hearing others (3.6; SD = 1.1), and degree of hearing loss (3.3; SD = 1.1). Most common barriers included uncertainty regarding who to reach out to for hearing care (42.9%), inability to get time off work (34.3%), and nervousness about seeing a provider (28.6%). Common reasons to decline hearing aids reporting that hearing was not bad enough for hearing aids (72.2%) and included inability to afford hearing aid (55.6%).
Conclusion
In this cohort, many US veterans sought care for hearing loss, though barriers still exist, including uncertainty regarding how to access appropriate care, being too far from a provider, and challenges with cost. Future studies should investigate methods to alleviate these internal and external barriers to hearing care and emphasize the importance of motivators for seeking care.
Top-30
Journals
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Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology
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American Journal of Public Health
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Publishers
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Wiley
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American Public Health Association
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- We do not take into account publications without a DOI.
- Statistics recalculated weekly.