Purpose: Although many previous literatures investigated various outcomes of hearing aid fitting, a few studies explored the cost-effectiveness of hearing aid fitting and its underlying model. Examining cost effectiveness of hearing aid fitting provides comparative values of hearing aid fitting by measuring the economic gains of hearing aid interventions. The purpose of present study is to understand the cost-related outcomes and benefits of hearing aid uses and provide economic insights of hearing aid interventions. Methods: The study reviewed several literatures related to cost-effectiveness of hearing aid fitting as well as relevant services. In addition, the study proposed an adopted economic model as a future reference of hearing aid fitting in South Korea. Results: There were a few studies evaluating cost-effectiveness of hearing aid fitting and the overall results supported a considerable success with incremental cost-effectiveness of hearing aid intervention. A dynamic patient flow model is particularly useful to simulate ongoing decision problems in the use of hearing aids and to estimate cost-effectiveness of hearing aid intervention. Conclusion: The patient flow model proposed in this study involves various possible transitions of people with hearing complaints in South Korea and it applies to the measurement of cost benefits of hearing aid fitting.
Four Korean native steers (511 ± 17.2 kg; 2 × 2 replicated
crossover design) fitted with duodenal cannulas were used to investigate the
influence of oral administration of soluble whey protein (WP; 82.29%
crude protein) on ruminal fermentation, gastrointestinal (GI) hormone secretion
in the blood, pancreatic α-amylase activity in the duodenum, and
disappearance rate in each segment of the GI tract. Steers were orally fed the
basal diet (control; TMR [total mixed ration] 9 kg/d) or the basal diet with
enriched WP (400 g/d) for 14 days. The apparent crude protein disappearance rate
in the rumen of the WP was higher than in control (
p
<
0.05). However, no difference between groups was observed in the apparent crude
protein disappearance rate in the intestine and the apparent starch
disappearance rates in the rumen, GI tract. The level of cholecystokinin,
secretin, and ghrelin in serum and pancreatic α-amylase activity in the
duodenum of the WP also did not change. The changes in the level of blood urea
nitrogen related to protein metabolism were higher in the WP than in the control
(
p
< 0.05). However, the levels of total protein,
lipid, carbohydrate and mineral metabolites did not change. Consequently, we
suggest that the oral administration of WP in steers assisted in ruminal
fermentation due to the population increase of microbes in the rumen but did not
improve the starch digestion rate in the small intestine because GI hormone
secretion in the blood and pancreatic α-amylase activity did not
change.
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