A Scoping Review on The Impact Of Hearing Aids on The Cognitive Health of Hearing-Impaired Adults: A Protocol

Rationale

Hearing impairment poses a substantial public health challenge, affecting millions of individuals globally. While the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline is recognized, the effectiveness of hearing aids in mitigating cognitive health-related quality of life remains underexplored. This scoping review seeks to address this critical gap by comprehensively reporting the existing literature on the effects of hearing aids on cognitive health in hearing-impaired adults. Previous studies have overlooked a significant portion of research conducted on hearing-impaired individuals by not exploring Allied Health databases. This exclusion limits the understanding of the diverse populations studied, potentially leading to incomplete and biased conclusions. By incorporating a broader range of databases, our scoping review aims to rectify this limitation and provide a more nuanced and comprehensive overview of the relationship between hearing aid use and cognitive health.