Patients with varying degrees of hearing loss represent a significantly heterogenous population. Individuals with hearing losses include both children and elderly, men and women, individuals with other disabilities, veterans, and importantly, transcend a broad spectrum of racial and linguistic representation. Thus, a wide variety of topics currently being debated in the healthcare domain, such as issues around health equity, access, and affordability to medical services and interventions, have a significant impact on patients with hearing losses.

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Those with hearing losses experience increased barriers and discrimination across all aspects of health care delivery which prevent their ability to receive the high-value care they deserve. Unique health inequities impacting the quality of life of individuals with hearing losses are often perpetuated though social determinants of health and a lack of access to both accessible health information and culturally-competent medical care. Compared to hearing individuals and patients, those with hearing losses are more likely to experience:

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• Higher rates of unemployment and lack of access to quality health insurance;

• Increased social isolation and disease burden, including a broad range of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancers, as well as an increased risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases such as depression, dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's;

• Elevated risk of avoiding medical care due to discrimination and poor patient-provider communication, resulting in poorer medical adherence rates compared to hearing patients; and 

• Underrepresentation and exclusion in medical research.

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These issues are further exacerbated in individuals with hearing losses who also identify as part of an underrepresented racial or linguistic minority. Their voices deserve to be heard, and their quality of life shouldn't be undermined by misguided and discriminatory policies or practices that prevent their ability to live long, healthy lives. DHC and our partners work to protect the rights of patients with hearing losses to ensure their access to the quality health care services and interventions they deserve to improve their health, well-being, and enable their full participation in a Hearing society.

 

Learn more about the issues and our advocacy priorities below.

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