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Hearing and Value-based Healthcare

Hearing Health: Lower Costs and Better Outcomes

Value-based healthcare means doctor-patient communication is more important than ever

Over the last five years, the growth of healthcare costs in the U.S. has remained steady at 5.5-7 percent. However, this has outpaced the rate of inflation, and researchers say this trend is unsustainable.1 As a result, the healthcare industry is focused on value-based healthcare as a possible solution.

Value-based healthcare

In population health systems, the doctor-reimbursement incentives are typically not based on office visits but on the actual number of patients treated. This is an example of a value-based healthcare approach, which focuses on ways to drive down costs while still providing the best patient care.

Better health outcomes require better doctor-patient communication

Recently, a number of studies have revealed a wide range of significant comorbidities related to hearing loss, including social isolation, cognitive decline and dementia, and even diabetes.2 It’s evident that more effective treatment of hearing loss can lead to better overall health outcomes for patients, which can drive down lifetime costs across the board.

Captioned telephones can help

This white paper from The Hearing Review, Hearing and Value-based Healthcare, explores the deep connections between hearing loss treatment options – such as hearing assistive technologies including captioned phones – and better health outcomes. Additionally, the paper examines statistics and emerging trends in overall population health.

  1. Alex Kacik, “Healthcare Costs Increasing At Unsustainable Pace,” Modern Healthcare, June, 2018.
  2. Harvey Abrams, Ph.D., “Hearing Loss and Associated Comorbidities: What Do We Know?” The Hearing Review webinar summary, 2017.

FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. Automatic speech recognition software generates captions of what the other party to the call says, and, in certain circumstances, a live communications assistant may be included on the call to make needed corrections and/or add call details. The captions are then sent to the phone. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally administered fund. To learn more, visit fcc.gov. Third-party charges may apply: the Hamilton CapTel phone requires high-speed internet access (Wi-Fi capable) and in some cases, may require telephone service. When using Hamilton CapTel on a smartphone or tablet and not on Wi-Fi, a data plan is required. Hamilton CapTel may be used to make 911 calls but may not function the same as traditional 911 services. For more information about the benefits and limitations of Hamilton CapTel and Emergency 911 calling, visit HamiltonCapTel.com/911. Courtesy of Cisco Systems, Inc. Unauthorized use not permitted. “Noah” is a registered trademark of HIMSA II K/S in the USA. Outside the USA, “Noah” is a trademark of HIMSA II K/S. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. Copyright ©2024 Hamilton Relay. Hamilton is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. d/b/a/ Hamilton Telecommunications.