Danesi (Sio), ‘7 million hearing-impaired Italians, National hearing Observatory urgently needed’

“The deafness of American patients costs the US 600 billion dollars, including assistance, insurance, study days and lost work. In Italy there are 7 million hearing impaired people, but we do not know how much they cost the National Health Service. For this reason it is urgent. create the National Hearing Observatory, a network that collects all data from the Regions relating to assistance, the number of hearing aids and cochlear implants, based on the best practices model of the Lombardy Region, the first and only one with a dedicated network to hearing problems “. Thus to Adnkronos Salute Giovanni Danesi, new president of the Italian Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (Sio eChCF), director of the Department of Neuroscience and of the Operating Unit of Otorhinolaryngology and Skull Base Microsurgery at the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, in occasion of the National Audiology Day, promoted by the Italian Society of Audiology and Phoniatrics (Siaf), which is celebrated today throughout Italy. “The theme of deafness – affirms Danesi – is deeply felt by those who suffer from it, but it must be remembered that ENT and audiologist are the main and absolute referents for these patients”. And on today’s initiative: “Dedicating a day to the prevention of hearing diseases is very commendable, but unfortunately it is not enough – Danesi warns – There must be constant dialogue with the institutions. Sio is working with the Ministry of Health to set up a National Hearing Observatory that collects all information and data on the pathology and patients assisted, following the example of the Hearing Network of the Lombardy Region, the only one that has so far imposed newborn hearing screening on 99% of the infant population “.