The Hearing-Dependent Daily Activities Scale to Evaluate Impact of Hearing Loss in Older People
Ann Fam Med Hidalgo et al.
6: 441
The Article in Brief
The Hearing-Dependent Daily Activities Scale to Evaluate Impact of Hearing Loss in Older People
Jesús López-Torres Hidalgo
, and colleagues
Background Up to 25% of persons between the ages of 65 and 75 years have undiagnosed hearing loss. This article describes the design and testing of the HDDA (Hearing-Dependent Daily Activities) Scale. The scale identifies the impact of hearing loss on daily life in older persons by measuring their ability to carry out hearing-dependent activities.
What This Study Found The HDDA Scale is a useful tool for detecting hearing loss in older people, a condition which frequently goes unnoticed during routine medical check-ups.
Implications
- Early detection of hearing loss can reduce its impact on the functioning and social behavior of older people.
- Only 20% of primary care doctors use a screening tool to identify hearing disorders. The HDDA Scale can help fill the need for an easy-to-use tool in clinical practice.
