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Title
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Awareness levels on severe sensorineural hearing loss and cochlear implants amongst ENT’s and adults in economically advanced European countries
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Author
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Abstract
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| Abstract According to the latest data of the World Health Organisation1, over 5% of the world’s population has a disabling hearing loss. This accounts for 466 million people worldwide. The current predictions of WHO estimate that by 2050, this would increase up to 900 million people. Hearing loss is an important health concern with substantial economic and societal costs. Children and adults with a severe and profound hearing loss are more likely to have a poor academic performance and have an increased likelihood of being unemployed or underemployed. They are more likely to experience difficulties in both their professional and social life and are often stigmatized in society. Without adequate treatment, many adults with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss are not able to perceive everyday environmental noises regardless of how loud or nearby they are. For children and adults with a severe or profound hearing loss, cochlear implants are currently standard of care. Currently there is a knowledge gap existing on the awareness levels towards hearing loss and its treatment options such as cochlear implants and this with health care providers and with patients. This seems to lead to inequities between the patients receiving such treatment and the patients not receiving such treatment. More specifically in Europe, many adults who could benefit from a cochlear implant do not have one despite their availability via national health care systems, the proven clinical outcomes and the high clinical impact. The goal of this research project is to determine the knowledge and beliefs of otorhinolaryngologists in a secondary setting in selected economically advanced European countries concerning severe hearing loss and cochlear implants as well as the awareness level of adults in the same set of countries concerning the same factors through a custom-made survey based on the Health Belief Model. After defining this baseline data, information was provided through a two-pronged digital campaign in these same countries to the same study groups. After this, the same custom-made survey was administered in the two study groups and a potential effect on the awareness level was measured. Based on the results in these two study groups, initial conclusions were made on the knowledge levels, beliefs and insights on severe hearing loss and cochlear implants in the selected countries. In addition, data demonstrates which communication channels should be used, to increase the awareness level on hearing loss and cochlear implants in these two study groups. |
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Language
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English
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Publication
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Antwerp
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University of Antwerp, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
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2020
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ISBN
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978-90-5728-665-0
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Volume/pages
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176 p.
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Note
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Van de Heyning, Paul [Supervisor]
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Van Rompaey, Vincent [Supervisor]
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De Bodt, Marc [Supervisor]
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Full text (open access)
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