Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2011 , Vol 14, Issue 4
EFFECTS OF BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ON HEARING REHABILITATION IN PATIENTS WITH PRESBYCUSIS
Erkan EÅžKÄ°1, Ä°smail YILMAZ2
1Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Kulak Burun Boğaz Anabilim Dalı İZMİR
2Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Kulak Burun Boğaz Anabilim Dalı ADANA
Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the bylow of budget constraints on hearing rehabilitation in patients with presbycusis.

Materials and Method: Those patients who used a hearing aid due to presbycusis at Zubeyde Hanim Education and Research Center at Baskent University were identified. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the time when they bought the hearing aid. A questionnaire was conducted with every patient in order to determine the factors that affect the selection of hearing aid. Satisfaction levels and utility of the hearing aids were compared using the Turkish version of the international inventory for evaluation of hearing aids.

Results: Forty seven patients, who used a hearing aid due to presbycusis, were included in the study. The mean age of the cases was 71.93 years. Group 1 consisted of 25 cases, while Group 2 consisted of 22 cases. In terms of hearing losses, both groups showed a similar distribution. The hearing aid evaluation score was found to be significantly low in the group that bought a hearing aid following the budget constraint bylow (p=0.001).

Conclusion: Budget constraints have a negative effect on hearing rehabilitation in patients with presbycusis. Keywords : Presbycusis; Hearing Aids; Budget