| Cost-effectiveness of hearing aids in South Korea: a multistate Markov model analysis |
Heonjeong Oh1,5,6,7
, Chul Young Yoon2,3,7
, Junhun Lee2,3,7
, Young Joon Seo2,3,7
, Wankyo Chung4
, Moo Kyun Park1,5,6,7
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1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
2Research Institute of Hearing Enhancement, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
3Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
4Department of Public Health Science and Institute of Health and Environment, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
5Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
6Sensory Organ Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea
7Korean Audiological Society, Korea |
| Correspondence |
Wankyo Chung ,Tel: +82-2-880-2285, Fax: +82-2-762-9105, Email: wankyo@snu.ac.kr
Moo Kyun Park ,Tel: +82-2-2072-3649, Fax: +82-2-745-2387, Email: entpmk@gmail.com
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Received: August 24, 2024; Revised: January 1, 2025 Accepted: January 19, 2025. Published online: January 21, 2025. |
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| ABSTRACT |
Objectives
This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using hearing aids among individuals aged 50 and older with varying levels of hearing loss in South Korea.
Methods
A state-transition Markov model was employed to assess the cost-effectiveness of hearing aid utilization from a societal perspective. We simulated a cohort of patients aged 50, tracking their progression through normal, mild, moderate, and severe stages of hearing loss until death or age 80. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year gained was determined using both published and calculated data on the costs and effectiveness of hearing aids.
Results
The respective ICERs were $8,571 for men and $10,635 for women. These figures are significantly below the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $31,721, which corresponds to the per capita gross domestic product in 2020. The probabilities of cost-effectiveness were 83.6% for men and 73.4% for women at this WTP threshold. The lower ICERs observed in men can likely be attributed to the earlier onset of hearing loss and the rapid progression from normal, mild, moderate, and severe stages of hearing loss to death.
Conclusions
Hearing aids represent a highly cost-effective intervention for adults aged 50 and older in Korea, regardless of the degree of hearing loss, even in mild cases. In light of the rapidly aging population, it would be prudent for government policymakers to consider the costeffectiveness of hearing aids in their decision-making processes. |
| Keywords:
Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Presbycusis, Quality-Adjusted Life Years |
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