Access to health service and hearing rehabilitation for adult and older adults during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss is a common disability in the world population and contributes to difficulty in verbal communication and reduced quality of life, highlighting the importance of early identification, rehabilitation and audiological monitoring of this disability to mitigate its consequences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictive measures reduced the service capacity of hearing health services and made it difficult to seek help to solve problems related to adaptation to personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), being a barrier in the rehabilitation process of hearing loss. Aim: To characterize PSAPs users and the initial hearing rehabilitation process for adults and elderly people and verify the factors associated with the return to hearing monitoring consultations in the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study with adults and elderly people: elderly users of an outpatient hearing health service who return for a scheduled hearing monitoring consultation in the initial period of the implementation of restrictive measures of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Results: Most participants were able to return to the hearing monitoring clinic, the majority of whom were elderly, female and vaccinated against COVID-19. There was a higher prevalence of adequate adaptation to the PSAPs. There was no statistical association between variables related to adaptation to PSAPs, COVID-19 and mental health and return to hearing monitoring consultation. Conclusion: Factors related to adaptation to PSAPs, COVID-19 or mental health did not influence the return to hearing monitoring consultation in the present investigation.