Children who could benefit from a cochlear implant: a European estimate of projected numbers, cost and relevant characteristics.
The incidence of profound hearing impairment by the age of 5, derived from a number of retrospective studies in the UK (population about 58 million; birth rate 14/1000), is estimated to be about 300 per annual birth cohort in the 1990s. This estimate includes 80 children who might be expected to acquire deafness in those first 5 years. Projected to Europe as a whole (population 511 million; birth rate 12/1000) this would mean a population who should be considered as potential cochlear implant patients of some 2268 children, given a variety of assumptions. At a take-up rate of 25% for both congenital and acquired cases of profound hearing impairment this would imply a European-wide expenditure of the order of 17 pounds m/p.a. on hardware and associated rehabilitation programmes. The need for such programmes is explored, in the context of strategies of early identification of hearing impairments.
Davis
A
A
MRC Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham University, UK.
Fortnum
H
H
O'Donoghue
G
G
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003638:Deafness / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005544:Forecasting; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008581:Meningitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology