Screening for Hearing Loss in Older Adults - An Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Sep 8, 2026

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Systematic review of evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on screening for hearing loss among adults aged 50 years or older. The review evaluates benefits and harms, the diagnostic accuracy of hearing screening tools, and the downstream benefits and harms of interventions for screen-detected or recently diagnosed hearing loss relevant to U.S. primary care. Evidence sources include major biomedical databases and trial registries, with defined study selection and dual review processes, and synthesis of outcomes and accuracy estimates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages169

Reading Time7 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Structured Abstract

Purpose

Data Sources

Study Selection

Data Extraction

Data Synthesis

Number 200 Screening for Hearing Loss in Older Adults: An Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Prepared for: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 [www.ahrq.gov](www.ahrq.gov) Contract No. HHSA-290-2015-00011-I, Task Order No. 11 Prepared by: RTI International–University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Investigators: Cynthia Feltner, MD, MPH Ina F. Wallace, PhD Christine E. Kistler, MD, MASc Manny Coker-Schwimmer, MPH Daniel E. Jonas, MD, MPH Jennifer Cook Middleton, PhD AHRQ Publication No. 20-05269-EF-1 March 2021 This report is based on research conducted by the RTI International–University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. HHSA-290-2015- 00011-I, Task Order No. 11) . The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents, and do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The information in this report is intended to help healthcare decision makers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of healthcare services. This report is not intended to bea substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information (i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients) . This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied. None of the investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to this project: Justin Mills, MD, AHRQ Medical Officer; Tracy Wolff, MD, MPH, Scientific Director, USPSTF Division, AHRQ; and current and former members of the U. S. Preventative Services Task Force; Patricia Johnson, AuD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill for her expert input and her review of the draft research plan; expert reviewers Karen Cruickshanks, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Rachel McArdle, PhD, MA, CCC-A, Bay Pines U.S. Veterans Administration Healthcare System; Teresa Chisolm, PhD, University of South Florida; Meg Wallhagen, RN, PhD, University of California, San Francisco; and Jennifer A. Deal, PhD, Johns Hopkins University; federal partners from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health; Lynn Whitener, MSLS, DrPH, research librarian; Sharon Barrell, MA, editor; Loraine Monroe, publications specialist; and Carol Woodell, EPC Program Manager. Suggested Citation Feltner C, Wallace I, Kistler C, Coker-Schwimmer M, Jonas DE, Middleton JC. Screening for Hearing Loss in Older Adults: An Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 200. AHRQ Publication No. 20-05269-EF-1. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2021. Structured Abstract Purpose: To systematically review the evidence on (1) benefits and harms of screening for hearing loss in adults age 50 years or old

FAQs

What is the purpose of this evidence review on hearing loss screening?

To systematically assess benefits and harms of screening for hearing loss in adults aged 50+, evaluate the accuracy of screening tools, and examine benefits and harms of interventions for screen-detected or recently diagnosed hearing loss relevant to U.S. primary care.

Which evidence sources and time windows are used in the review?

The review uses PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and trial registries, with literature surveillance through November 20, 2020 (and trial registry coverage through January 17, 2020), plus reference lists and expert input.

What does the evidence show about outcomes after screening?

An included randomized controlled trial in veterans found screening was not associated with improvements in hearing-related function at 1 year, though screening was associated with increased hearing aid use.

Sep 8, 2026

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