A comparative examination of healthcare use related to hearing impairment in Europe

Introduction: The economic burden of hearing impairment is an area of increased interest. In this paper we examine the relationship between hearing impairment and service use in 14 European countries. Methods: Based on the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) undertaken in 2013, Poisson regression models are used to analyse the relationship between the number of visits/number of nights in hospital, and hearing impairment controlling for a number of covariates. Results: We find that hearing impairment is generally associated with increased use of primary and secondary healthcare services when other aspects of health have been controlled. Comparative analysis revealed that where access to hearing assistive technology was greatest the additional use of services was least. Conclusions: The comparative analysis suggests that variations exist across countries in respect of the additional healthcare use occasioned by hearing impairment. They may also provide valuable insights into how the burden of illness might be reduced.