Among patients with hearing loss, women and those with lower socioeconomic status experience more barriers to healthcare access and use, according to findings published in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. James Naples, MD, and colleagues assessed data from 8,875 patients with sensorineural hearing loss. Following multivariate analysis, women were more likely than men to have difficulty affording medications (OR, 1.7; P<0.0005) and specialists (OR, 1.4; P<0.005). Women were more likely to delay care due to elder care responsibilities (OR, 2.6; P<0.0005), employment obligations (OR, 1.7; P<0.0005), and apprehension about seeing a provider (OR, 1.7; P<0.0005). Women also reported feeling less likely to be involved in their own care compared with men (OR, 1.2; P<0.005). Low-income participants (<$25,000) reported being less likely to feel respected (OR, 3.2; P<0.0005) and receive clear health information (OR, 2.3; P<0.0005) than higher-income participants.
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