UNASSIGNED: To assess the association between the home-to-healthcare-calibration-center distance and hearing aid abandonment among older adults fitted in the Chilean public health system.
UNASSIGNED: 455 patients who received hearing aids from two public hospitals in two regions were considered. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance estimation were used to analyze the association between the geographical distance and hearing aid abandonment, accounting for confounding effects.
UNASSIGNED: Approximately 18% of the sample abandoned the hearing aid, and around 50% reported using the hearing aid every day. A twofold increase in distance between home and the hearing center yielded a 35% (RR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.04-1.74; p = 0.022) increased risk of hearing aid abandonment. Also, those in the second quintile had a 2.17 times the risk of abandoning the hearing aid compared to the first quintile (up to 2.3 km). Under the assumption that patients reside within the first quintile of distance, a potential reduction of 45% in the incidence of hearing aid abandonment would be observed. The observed risk remained consistent across different statistical models to assess sensitivity.
UNASSIGNED: A higher distance between the residence and the healthcare center increases hearing aid abandonment risk. The association may be explained by barriers in purchasing supplies required to maintain the device (batteries, cleaning elements, potential repairs, or maintenance).
■评估智利公共卫生系统中老年人的家庭到医疗保健校准中心距离与助听器放弃之间的关联。考虑了
■455名从两个地区的两家公立医院接受助听器的患者。使用具有稳健方差估计的单变量和多变量泊松回归模型来分析地理距离与助听器放弃之间的关联。考虑混杂效应。
■大约18%的样本放弃了助听器,大约50%的人报告每天使用助听器。家庭与听力中心之间的距离增加两倍,导致助听器放弃的风险增加了35%(RR=1.35;95%CI:1.04-1.74;p=0.022)。此外,第二个五分之一的人放弃助听器的风险是第一个五分之一的人(最多2.3公里)的2.17倍。假设患者居住在第一个五分之一的距离内,我们观察到弃用助听器的发生率有可能降低45%.观察到的风险在不同的统计模型中保持一致,以评估敏感性。
■住所与医疗中心之间的距离越远,就会增加弃用助听器的风险。这种关联可以用购买维护设备所需的用品的障碍来解释(电池,清洁元件,潜在的维修,或维护)。