A draft recommendation released by the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) in September has now become final, according to a statement on the USPSTF website.
The final recommendation—unchanged from the September version—concludes that there is insufficient evidence to recommend screening by doctors for hearing loss in asymptomatic adults aged 50 or older. This conclusion mirrors a similar one that the USPSTF came to in 2012.
An opinion article in the October 2020 version of Hearing Review points out that although there is evidence to suggest that hearing loss contributes to social isolation and loneliness in older adults, cognitive impairment and dementia, reorganization of brain processing centers, and a myriad of other risk factors and chronic conditions, the USPSTF relies on “solid scientific evidence” when making recommendations that could potentially have large ramifications on healthcare spending. According to the article, “the USPSTF views the current evidence for screening efficacy and outcomes as lacking.”
To read the statement in full, please visit the USPSTF website here.
Source: USPSTF, Hearing Review
