TY - JOUR
AU - T. Okuba
AU - R. P. Lystad
AU - I. Boisvert
AU - A. McMaugh
AU - R. C. Moore
AU - P. Wolnizer
AU - C. Chow
AU - R. Walsan
AU - R. J. Mitchell
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: The frequency and type of health and social services use following cochlear implantation are unclear. This study aimed to examine health and social services utilisation among adult cochlear implant users. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among adults aged ≥ 18 years who received a cochlear implant between 2011 and 2021 in Australia. Linked data from the Person-level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) were utilised. A negative binomial regression was used to examine factors associated with health and social service use in younger (18-64 years) and older adults (≥ 65 years). RESULTS: A total of 6,305 adults received a cochlear implant: 2,715 (43·1%) younger and 3,590 (56·9%) older adults. Older adults had a higher mean number of general practitioner (GP) visits (48.0) compared with younger adults (34.2), but younger adults visited specialists more often (7.1 vs. 4.7). Audiologists visit numbers were similar for both groups, with mean of 7.1 for younger and 7.5 for older adults. Factors associated with primary care (i.e. general practitioner visits) for both younger and older adults included being female, a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background, comorbidities, needing assistance for activities of daily living (ADL), living in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage and having had ≥ 2 implants. Factors associated with specialist visits for younger adults included being female, a CALD background, being employed, or having a mental health condition, while for older adults these factors included needing assistance with ADLs, and long-term health or mental health conditions. Younger adults from CALD backgrounds, living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, with low income and experiencing mental health condition were more likely to receive government benefits. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors and comorbidities influence utilisation to both healthcare and social services for adults with a cochlear implant. This underscores the need for integrated care, considering psychological and health needs of the implant users.
AD - Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. tolesa.okuba@mq.edu.au.; Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.; Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.; Macquarie School of Education, Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.; NextSense Institute, Sydney, Australia.; The University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.; Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
AN - 41437055
BT - BMC Health Serv Res
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 1
DA - Dec 23
DO - 10.1186/s12913-025-13939-4
DP - NLM
ET - 20251223
IS - 1
JF - BMC Health Serv Res
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: The frequency and type of health and social services use following cochlear implantation are unclear. This study aimed to examine health and social services utilisation among adult cochlear implant users. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among adults aged ≥ 18 years who received a cochlear implant between 2011 and 2021 in Australia. Linked data from the Person-level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) were utilised. A negative binomial regression was used to examine factors associated with health and social service use in younger (18-64 years) and older adults (≥ 65 years). RESULTS: A total of 6,305 adults received a cochlear implant: 2,715 (43·1%) younger and 3,590 (56·9%) older adults. Older adults had a higher mean number of general practitioner (GP) visits (48.0) compared with younger adults (34.2), but younger adults visited specialists more often (7.1 vs. 4.7). Audiologists visit numbers were similar for both groups, with mean of 7.1 for younger and 7.5 for older adults. Factors associated with primary care (i.e. general practitioner visits) for both younger and older adults included being female, a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background, comorbidities, needing assistance for activities of daily living (ADL), living in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage and having had ≥ 2 implants. Factors associated with specialist visits for younger adults included being female, a CALD background, being employed, or having a mental health condition, while for older adults these factors included needing assistance with ADLs, and long-term health or mental health conditions. Younger adults from CALD backgrounds, living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, with low income and experiencing mental health condition were more likely to receive government benefits. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors and comorbidities influence utilisation to both healthcare and social services for adults with a cochlear implant. This underscores the need for integrated care, considering psychological and health needs of the implant users.
PY - 2025
SN - 1472-6963
SP - 1613
ST - Health and social services utilisation of adults with a cochlear implant: evidence from a national person-level integrated data asset in Australia
T1 - Health and social services utilisation of adults with a cochlear implant: evidence from a national person-level integrated data asset in Australia
T2 - BMC Health Serv Res
TI - Health and social services utilisation of adults with a cochlear implant: evidence from a national person-level integrated data asset in Australia
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1186/s12913-025-13939-4
VL - 25
VO - 1472-6963
Y1 - 2025
ER -