Age-Related Hearing Loss

Publication Date: April 30, 2024
Last Updated: May 1, 2024

Summary of Guideline Key Action Statements

Screening for Hearing Loss

Clinicians should screen patients, age of 50 years and older, for hearing loss at the time of a healthcare encounter.

(R, C )
571

Ear Exam and Other Ear Conditions

If screening suggests hearing loss, clinicians should examine the ear canal and tympanic membrane with otoscopy or refer to a clinician that can examine the ears for cerumen impaction, infection, or other abnormalities. (R, B )
571

Sociodemographic Factors and Patient Preferences

If screening suggests hearing loss, clinicians should identify sociodemographic factors and patient preferences that influence access to and utilization of hearing health care.

(R, C )
571

Hearing Test

If screening suggests hearing loss, clinicians should obtain or refer to a clinician who can obtain an audiogram. (SR, A )
571

Identifying Conditions other than ARHL

Clinicians should evaluate and treat or refer to a clinician who can evaluate and treat patients with significant asymmetric hearing loss, conductive or mixed hearing loss, or poor word recognition on diagnostic testing. (R, C )
571

Patient Education and Counseling

Clinicians should educate and counsel patients with hearing loss and their family/care partner about the impact of hearing loss on their communication, safety, function, cognition, and quality of life.

(R, B )
571

Communication Strategies and Assistive technologies

Clinicians should counsel patients with hearing loss on communication strategies and assistive listening devices. (R, B )
571

Amplification

Clinicians should offer, or refer to a clinician who can offer, appropriately-fit amplification to patients with age-related hearing loss.

(SR, A )
571

Candidacy for Cochlear Implants

Clinicians should refer patients for an evaluation of cochlear implantation candidacy when patients have appropriately fit amplification and persistent hearing difficulty with poor speech understanding. ( Strong Recommendation (S) , A )
571

Assessing Goals and Improvement

For patients with hearing loss, clinicians should assess if communication goals have been met and if there has been improvement in hearing-related quality of life at a subsequent healthcare encounter or within one year. (R, C )
571

Retesting

Clinicians should assess hearing at least every 3 years in patients with known hearing loss or with reported concern for changes in hearing.

(O, C )
571

Recommendation Grading

Abbreviations

  • ARHL: Age-related Hearing Loss

Disclaimer

The information in this patient summary should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

Overview

Title

Age-Related Hearing Loss

Authoring Organization

American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation

Publication Month/Year

April 30, 2024

Last Updated Month/Year

October 10, 2024

Document Type

Guideline

Country of Publication

US

Document Objectives

The purpose of this clinical practice guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities and provide clinicians trustworthy, evidence-based recommendations regarding the identification and management of ARHL. These opportunities are communicated through clear actionable statements with explanation of the support in the literature, evaluation of the quality of the evidence, and recommendations on implementation. The target patients for the guideline are any individuals aged 50 years and older. The target audience is all clinicians in all care settings. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the guideline development group (GDG). It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide regarding the management of ARHL. The statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based on their experience and assessment of individual patients.

Target Patient Population

Any individuals aged 50 years and older regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with hearing loss

Target Provider Population

All clinicians in all care settings caring for patients aged 50 years and older

Inclusion Criteria

Male, Female, Adult, Older adult

Health Care Settings

Ambulatory

Intended Users

Audiologist, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician, physician assistant

Scope

Assessment and screening, Management

Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D034381 - Hearing Loss, D006309 - Hearing

Keywords

hearing loss, age related hearing loss

Source Citation

Tsai Do BS, Bush ML, Weinreich HM, Schwartz SR, Anne S, Adunka OF, Bender K, Bold KM, Brenner MJ, Hashmi AZ, Keenan TA, Kim AH, Moore DJ, Nieman CL, Palmer CV, Ross EJ, Steenerson KK, Zhan KY, Reyes J, Dhepyasuwan N. Clinical Practice Guideline: Age-Related Hearing Loss. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024 May;170 Suppl 2:S1-S54. doi: 10.1002/ohn.750. PMID: 38687845.