Abstract
Purpose of Review: Hearing loss is a significant public health problem with profound impacts on health. Despite strong supportive evidence of implantable devices, such as cochlear implants, for hearing loss treatment, there are limitations in their utilization and access. The objective of this review is to evaluate factors influencing equity of hearing healthcare and implantable devices. Recent Findings: Hearing healthcare inequities are pervasive and persistent. With attention to cochlear implantation, this review describes the disconnects, delays, and different outcomes of patients with hearing loss based on geographic context, socioeconomic status, education, race, and ethnicity. Additionally, approaches to address these inequities are described. Summary: A wide range of social factors impact access and utilization of hearing healthcare, and specifically cochlear implantation. It is critical to frequently revisit definitions and descriptions of hearing healthcare inequities, renew our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and constantly reimagine interventions to promote equity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 19-24 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.
Keywords
- Access
- Cochlear implant
- Disparity
- Health equity
- Hearing
- Implantable devices
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Immunology and Allergy
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Clinical Neurology
