Economic Burden of Hearing Loss for the U.S. Military: A Proposed Framework for Estimation.

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.

The Department of Defense Epidemiologic and Economic Burden of Hearing Loss study.

Although studies have examined the relation between military-related noise and hearing, comprehensive data to calculate rates of hearing loss across all Services and to determine economic impact are lacking. The goal of the multiphase Department of Defense (DoD) Epidemiologic and Economic Burden of Hearing Loss (DEEBoHL) project is to examine rates of hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury, relevant noise exposures, and to determine the economic burden of these outcomes to the DoD and Service Members. The DoD Hearing Center of Excellence is supporting the following Phase I specific aims, among active duty Service Members to (1) calculate rates of hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury, and (2) develop a framework for the DoD to conduct comprehensive economic burden studies for hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury. The study is led by a multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and The Geneva Foundation, with guidance from experts who make up the study advisory board. In this article, we focus on an overview of the DEEBoHL study, the methods for the first aim of this effort, and describe future plans for the study.