Describe your topic.

Age-Related Hearing Loss

An evidence review can answer the following:

• What is the optimal age for clinicians to screen older adults for age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis?
• What are the comparative risks and benefits for the early detection and intervention of age-related hearing loss in adults?
• Are there medical conditions that require immediate hearing health care management?
• What intervention – hearing aids, assistive listening devices, cochlear implants, aural rehabilitation - is most effective in the treatment of adults with age-related hearing loss?
• Are the patients that receive intervention receiving improved health outcomes, such as the avoidance of depression, increased quality of life, and increased overall health?

Importance of Suggested Topic

Describe why this topic is important.

• Hearing health care for adults has been recognized the National Institute of Health, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and by presidential administrations as an urgent public health problem. It is estimated that 12.7%, or 30 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss (Anderson & Predith, 2016). The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, starting with about 3% of adults age 20-29 to an estimated 45% of adults age 70-74 years, and 80% of those 85 years and older (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016).
• References
  • Anderson, C., & Predith, A. (2016, December 7). FDA Takes Action to Deliver Lower-Cost, Innovative Hearing Aids to Millions More Americans. Retrieved from The White House: President Barack Obama:
    https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2016/12/07/fda-takes-action-deliver-lower-cost-innovative-hearing-aids-millions-more-americans
  • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. (2016). Hearing Health Care for Adults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Tell us why you are suggesting this topic.

• Despite the high prevalence of age-related hearing loss and it major impact on functional health status, there are no trustworthy systematic reviews to guide recommendations for management and performance assessment. The Committee on Accessible and Affordable Hearing Health Care for Adults prioritized in their recommendations that best practices and core competencies for adult hearing health care should be implemented across the continuum (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016). Fulfilling this goal, however, requires a high-quality evidence synthesis and comparative effectiveness review (CER) as the starting point for trustworthy guidelines and measures. The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) has created a preliminary quality measure set based on expert consensus, but having an AHRQ CER available in the future would facilitate more meaningful and trustworthy guideline recommendations and associated quality measures to optimize management of this prevalent, high-impact condition.

Target Date: 2019-05-31

Impact of a New Evidence Report

Describe what you are doing currently and what you are hoping will change because of a new evidence report.

• The evidence report will assist to inform the standard of care for the evaluation and treatment of adults with hearing loss. Consistent with the goals NASEM and AAO-HNSF, the evidence will be used to provide guidance to physicians treating patients with hearing loss and clarity to patients experiencing hearing loss symptoms.

How will you or your group use the information from a new evidence report?

• AAO-HNSF has prioritized age-related hearing loss as a topic for a clinical practice guideline, and the evidence will be used to support the development of the guideline. Further, quality measures will be developed from the findings and recommendations of the guideline.

How would you or your group plan to disseminate information from the report? Who would you plan to disseminate it to?

• The evidence report created by AHRQ would be publicized by AAO-HNSF to the members and other key stakeholders, and referenced in the publication of the CPG.

Other Stakeholders Who Could Use a New Evidence Report

Do you know of organizations that could use an evidence report to change clinical practice? Are you a part of, or have you been in contact with, any organizations that might implement the research findings of an evidence report?

• Hearing loss affects a large population seen by several medical professionals. In the development of the CGP, AAO-HNSF will invite all relevant stakeholders to participate, including representatives from the disciplines of audiology, primary care, neurology, and consumer/patient groups. We would encourage the groups to implement the findings of the evidence report as well as the recommendations developed from the evidence report.

Information About You: (optional)

Provide a description of your role or perspective.

• Professional society

If you are you making a suggestion on behalf of an organization, please state the name of the organization.

• American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation