10 October 2024

Pilot begins for national eye and hearing study

A pilot has been launched to update statistics on the prevalence of sensory loss among over-50s in the UK.

The UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study (UKNEHS) intends to produce data that commissioners can use to plan future services, improve outcomes and develop health strategies.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), DeafblindUK and various eyecare charities are funding the pilot project in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Care home residents and 750 randomly selected individuals aged 50 or older will have a sensory assessment and answer questionnaires. The researchers will then scale up the process to involve 25,000 participants in a national study.

The hearing component includes questionnaires about hearing experience, tinnitus, noise and risk factors for hearing loss, as well as health economics, quality of life and access to hearing care services. It also includes clinical tests such as digital otoscopy, audiometry, digits-in-noise and cognitive evaluation.

The UKNEHS says it will provide "vital information for health policy makers and those developing and commissioning health services" using an accurate picture of the prevalence of sensory loss to inform funding priorities and address inequalities in access and provision of healthcare.

The team's report says: "The fragmented state of UK hearing policy belies the cost of hearing loss to society - which is high and escalating. Recent estimates suggest that the UK economy loses £25 billion a year due to reduced productivity and unemployment due to hearing loss."

A National Study of Hearing by the Medical Research Council (MRC) took place more than 40 years ago, but still informs hearing health research today. The prevalence of hearing loss has grown since then as the population has aged.

"Despite the prevalence and large impact of sensory loss, we don't have the data we need to understand how to improve services and deliver them more efficiently and effectively," said the researchers. "We desperately need high quality, up-to-date data on hearing loss and eye health so that we can plan future services and improve outcomes for the UK population."