En kartlegging og beregning av samfunnskostnadene knyttet til nedsatt hørsel i Norge

Abstract

Background: Hearing impairment is a condition that has a negative impact on communication and is associated with age. The psychosocial consequences of hearing impairment can be debilitating and hinder an individual’s societal participation. There is also an increasing amount of evidence that indicates a link between hearing impairment and more serious conditions like dementia, neck pain and psychological conditions. Purpose: The aim of this master’s thesis is to provide information about the societal cost regarding hearing loss in Norway. And to predict the future cost in 2030 given the increasing growth in the elderly population. Material and methods: This master’s thesis looked at the cost of illness for hearing loss in Norway using a top-down prevalence perspective with a human capital approach. Registry data was collected from the Norwegian patient registry (NPR), control and reimbursement of health-expenses (KUHR) and the employment registry (NAV). Data was also collected through a questionnaire distributed digitally to members of the national association of the hearing impaired (HLF) and from the website of the Norwegian technical audiological society (NTAF) for hearing aids. Results: The societal cost of illness for hearing impairment in Norway was found to be 890 million NOK in 2016 with 712 million of this cost going to health services. For the health services this cost was estimated at 940 million in 2030 based on population growth and cost per individual. Conclusions: The expenditure for the treatment of hearing impairment can be expected to increase in the coming years. This is due to the increasing amount of elderly people who to a large extent contribute to the costs of treatment and rehabilitation for hearing impairment.