Survey overview
EuroTrak Italy 2015 was designed and conducted by Anovum on behalf of ANIFA. The study included a representative screening sample of 15,641 people and detailed interviews with 1,343 people with self-reported hearing loss, comprising 492 hearing aid owners and 851 non-owners.
Hearing loss and adoption
In EuroTrak Italy 2015, 11.7% of the total population reported hearing loss, compared with 11.6% in 2012. Among adults aged 18 and over, prevalence was 13.6%, compared with 13.4% in 2012.
Hearing aid adoption increased slightly to 25.2% of people with self-reported hearing loss, up from 24.6% in 2012. Among adults with hearing loss, adoption was 23.9%. Among hearing aid owners, 57% had binaural treatment.
Route to hearing care
31% of respondents had undergone a hearing test within the previous five years, compared with 29% in 2012, with most tests carried out by ENT specialists.
Among people with self-reported hearing loss, 77% had discussed their hearing loss with an ENT doctor and/or family doctor, while 50% were recommended hearing aids by one of these professionals.
GPs primarily acted as a referral point: 78% of GP consultations resulted in referral to an ENT and 20% in referral to a hearing aid dispenser. Among ENT consultations, 36% resulted in referral to an audiologist and 39% in a recommendation for no further action.
Hearing aid use and satisfaction
Hearing aids were worn for an average of 8.4 hours per day, up from 7.7 hours in 2012. 54% of currently owned hearing aids had been acquired within the previous two years, and the average age of devices was 2.5 years.
Overall satisfaction increased substantially, with 79% of hearing aid owners satisfied with their devices, compared with 70% in 2012. 87% said their hearing aids worked as expected or better.
Users reported positive effects particularly in communication, social life and relationships at home. 96% said their hearing aids improved their quality of life at least sometimes.
Reimbursement and awareness
57% of hearing aid owners received some form of third-party reimbursement, compared with 65% in 2012.
Awareness among non-owners was considerably lower: only 24% believed that a third party would pay at least part of the cost of hearing aids, compared with 22% in 2012.
Barriers to adoption
Among non-owners, the main reasons for not using hearing aids were believing they could still hear well enough, having more serious priorities and feeling that their hearing loss was not severe enough.
15% of non-owners intended to obtain a hearing aid within the following year, up from 10% in 2012. Worsening hearing loss and advice from ENT specialists, children and audiologists were among the most important potential influences on adoption, while hearing aid price was particularly relevant for non-owners.
Overall, EuroTrak Italy 2015 shows a modest increase in hearing aid adoption alongside higher satisfaction and daily use among hearing aid owners, while perceived need and competing priorities remained important barriers to adoption.
Source: Anovum – EuroTrak Italy 2015.
