USPSTF Says Evidence is Still Lacking for Screening Older Adults for Hearing Loss

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HHTM
September 15, 2020

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced on September 9 that current evidence is inadequate for assessing the balance of benefits and harms of hearing loss screening for older adults. This finding forms the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online Sept. 8 by the USPSTF. The United States Preventive Services Task Force is an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive service.

In 2012 the same group concluded that the evidence was insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for hearing loss in asymptomatic adults aged 50 years or older. 

 

Screening Older Adults for Hearing Loss

 

In the updated report, Cynthia Feltner, M.D., M.P.H., from the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-Based Practice Center in Research Triangle Park, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine screening for hearing loss in adults aged 50 years or older. In one randomized controlled trial involving 2,305 veterans, screening for hearing loss was not associated with improvements in hearing-related function at one year.

A single-question screening had pooled sensitivity of 66 and 80 percent and pooled specificity of 76 and 74 percent for detecting mild and moderate hearing loss, respectively. Data were insufficient for examining the accuracy of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening tool for mild hearing loss; few studies assessed other screening questionnaires, clinical tests, or technology.

Based on these findings, the USPSTF concluded that the current evidence was insufficient for assessing the benefits and harms of screening for hearing loss in older adults without symptoms of hearing loss. 

A draft of their evidence based review as well as the ability to make public comments on their findings can be completed here. 

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