U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of adults with tinnitus that started in the past 5 years who have seen a specialist — HOSCD‑10 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 61.8 percent of adults aged 18 years and over with onset of "bothersome" (i.e., a moderate, big, or very big problem) tinnitus in the past 5 years had seen a health care specialist in 2014

Target: 74.2 percent

Numerator
Number of adults aged 18 years and over who have seen a health care specialist (e.g., audiologist or otolaryngologist/ ENT physician, neurologist, or psychiatrist) about their tinnitus.
Denominator
Number of adults aged 18 years and over with onset of tinnitus within the past 5 years, for whom it is a moderate, big, or very big problems.
Target-setting method
Minimal statistical significance
Target-setting method details
Minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were not available for this objective. The standard error was used to calculate a target based on minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline.

Methodology

Methodology notes

Definition:  Tinnitus is a subjective complaint, self-reported in NHIS Hearing Supplements (2007 & 2014) as "ringing, roaring, or buzzing in the ears or head that lasted 5 minutes or longer in the past 12 months."  Tinnitus questions are asked primarily in Hearing Health Supplements to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Numerator count includes responses to the 4 NHIS questions:  a. "YES"; b. responses "1" through "4"; c. responses "3" through "5"; d. "YES". Denominator includes responses as the numerator for a., b., and c. Question d. is not relevant to the denominator.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.