Survey of hearing health during the covid-19 pandemic: Implications for service delivery

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explore older adults’ perceptions of their hearing health during the stay-at-home order issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A 24-item survey was completed by 150 community-dwelling older adults in the United States. Participants were asked about their self-reported hearing status, use of hearing aids and difficulty wearing masks while wearing hearing aids, relative importance of their hearing health, priority of their hearing health during the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulty communicating with masks, and utilization of telepractice services. Results: The majority of participants did not wear hearing aids despite reporting that they had at least a little trouble hearing. Most participants reported that their hearing health was important and indicated that they were likely to visit their audiologist for an in-person or virtual visit during the pandemic. Conclusion: Audiologists should consider telepractice or remote service delivery options during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of their patients.