title: Primary care intervention programme to improve early detection of hearing loss in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve audiology screening in general practice, using an intervention programme aiming to empower older adults and their general practitioners.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a quasi-experimental community study comparing 206 patients and two control groups (the first being 101 people registered with the same general practitioner, and the second 87 people registered with another general practitioner). Outcome measures were: rates of hearing tests in the six months before interview, and screening recommendation by the general practitioner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst patients, there was a significant increase in numbers undergoing a hearing test, from 19 per cent before the intervention to 49 per cent two years later, while in the two control groups there was little change. Twenty-two per cent of patients and 19 per cent of the first control group reported that their physicians suggested undergoing a hearing test; the second control group subjects (whose general practitioners received no specific educational intervention) showed no change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two crucial factors for improving hearing screening uptake in the elderly are general practitioner education and patient empowerment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Aging, Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bentur
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valinsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lemberger
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben Moshe
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Heymann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*