title: Economic Burden of Hearing Loss for the U.S. Military: A Proposed Framework for Estimation.
abstract: The goal of this multiphased research is to develop methods to comprehensively determine the economic impact of hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury among active duty U.S. Service Members. Several steps were undertaken to develop a framework and model for economic burden analysis: (1) a literature review identifying studies reporting the cost of health conditions and injuries in the Department of Defense, (2) consultation with a panel of subject matter experts who reviewed these cost items, and (3) discussions with DoD data stewards and review of relevant data dictionaries and databases. A Markov model was developed to represent the cumulative economic effect of events along the career span, such as retraining after hearing impairment and injury, by synthesizing inputs from various sources. The model, as developed and proposed in this study, will be a valuable decision-making tool for the DoD to identify high-risk groups, take proactive measures, and develop focused education, customized equipping, and return-to-duty and reintegration programs, thereby maximizing the retention of skilled, experienced, and mission-ready Service Members.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Hasanat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alamgir
authors.affiliation: The Geneva Foundation, 917 Pacific Avenue #600, Tacoma, WA 98402.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Betancourt
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Caryn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: The Geneva Foundation, 917 Pacific Avenue #600, Tacoma, WA 98402.
authors.forename: Natasha S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Gorrell
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Hari K R
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Sagiraju
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Sharon P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Douphrate
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Kristina W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Whitworth
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Dritana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marko
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cornell
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, 59MDW/SG02O, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Tanisha L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hammill
authors.affiliation: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Senchak
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, 59MDW/SG02O, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Packer
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000191:economics*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D059030:United States Department of Defense