Abstract

A and B, regional prevalence x 100,000 population of consultant medical audiologists and technicians registered in 2025; C and D, regional prevalence x 100,000 of pure tone and speech audiometry tests performed in 2023.
Cover figure: A and B, regional prevalence x 100,000 population of consultant medical audiologists and technicians registered in 2025; C and D, regional prevalence x 100,000 of pure tone and speech audiometry tests performed in 2023.

Objective. With the rise in life expectancy and increased age-related hearing loss (ARHL), audiological assessment is essential to enable prevention of cognitive decay associated with social isolation. This study evaluates audiological services in Italy to support future research, prevention strategies, and public health policies.
Methods. We analysed national audiological service data in Italy from 2021 to 2023, focusing on the use of pure-tone and speech audiometry. Service provision was examined in relation to population size, estimated ARHL prevalence, and availability of specialised personnel.
Results. The number of pure tone audiometry tests rose from 634,996 in 2021 to 790,245 in 2023; speech audiometry tests increased from 179,279 to 230,008 respectively. The national prevalence of pure-tone and speech audiometry tests performed in 2023 was 1340.1 x 100,000 and 390 x 100,000 respectively. Delivery of audiometry tests varied by area, with the North-East exhibiting the highest prevalence of speech audiometry tests in 2023, whereas pure tone tests were more more prevalent in the North-West of the country. The availability of audiology professionals was limited, with a just 2.16 consultant medical audiologists and 1.82 technicians per 100,000 residents.
Conclusions. The supply of audiology tests perfomed in Italy during 2021-2023 was insufficient to meet the growing demand for hearing assessments among the aging population. However, the effectiveness of any screening audiological programme depends not only on the availability of well-trained specialists, but also on effective education programmes for the general population.

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Luciano Bubbico - Hearing Loss Research Group, Department of Disability Prevention, National Institute of Public Policy Innovation, INAPP, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7022-4083

Federica Di Berardino - Audiology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7514-5624

Giorgia Pugliese - University of Milan, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Milan, Italy. Corresponding author - giorgia.pugliese@unimi.it

Valeria Caragli - Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Audiology Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

Salvatore Ferlito - Audiology Department, University of Catania, Italy

Elisabetta Genovese - Audiology Program, Department of Maternal, Child and Adult Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

Diego Zanetti - Audiology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8116-4108

Luca Cegolon - University Health Agency Giuliano - Isontina (ASUGI) Public Health Unit Trieste, Italy; University of Trieste, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6285-7355

Lorenzo Pignataro - Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department. of Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1619-5124

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Copyright (c) 2024 Società Italiana di Otorinolaringoiatria e chirurgia cervico facciale

How to Cite
Bubbico, L., Di Berardino, F., Pugliese, G., Caragli, V., Ferlito, S., Genovese, E., Zanetti, D., Cegolon, L. ., & Pignataro, L. . (2026). Early prevention of hearing loss in older adults: the public audiology service in Italy, 2021-2023. ACTA Otorhinolaryngologica Italica, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.14639/0392-100X-A1391
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