Societal costs of hearing disorders: a systematic and critical review of literature.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to perform a critical and systematic literature review of studies on societal costs due to hearing disorders. DESIGN We used predefined search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Systematic searches were conducted in Medline, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and other relevant websites. The review included studies written in English or Swedish between 1995 and the end of January 2012. STUDY SAMPLE We identified four published studies and four reports that met the pre-defined inclusion criteria. RESULTS Swedish cost studies primarily focused on costs of hearing aids. International studies with a societal perspective used different costing approaches and were limited to specific patient populations. Hearing disorders impact the social welfare system more than the medical care system. Indirect costs account for the major part and direct medical costs for a minor part of the total costs of hearing disorders. CONCLUSIONS There is a need for further studies estimating societal costs for all degrees of hearing disorders, in particular since a large part of the people with hearing disorders are of working age.