Prevalence of Hyperacusis Diagnosis in Veterans Who Use VA Healthcare

Objectives: The primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of hyperacusis diagnosis in treatment-seeking Veterans, paying attention to when it is diagnosed in conjuncture with common comorbid conditions. Design: This retrospective observational study used Veteran electronic health records from January 2015 to July 2021. Hyperacusis and comorbid conditions were identified using International Classification of Disease diagnostic codes. Results: The prevalence of hyperacusis diagnosis was 0.06%. Veterans diagnosed with tinnitus, posttraumatic stress disorder, headache, or traumatic brain injury were between two and seven times more likely to have an International Classification of Disease code for hyperacusis. Conclusions: The estimated prevalence of hyperacusis diagnosis using electronic health records is grossly below what is reported in the literature. This is likely due to lack of standardized methods to diagnosis hyperacusis and when present with comorbid conditions, uncertainty when it should be coded as a secondary diagnosis. Future clinical and research efforts prioritizing hyperacusis are desperately needed.