Balance Disorders: Insufficient Supply of Vestibular Examinations by the Italian National Health Service, 2021-2023

Vestibular tests are critical for an early detection of balance disorders, thereby reducing the risk of falls, particularly in older adults. The present is an ecologic study where the units of observation are the Italian Regions. Regional scores of access to essential levels of care (LEAs) were employed as predictors to investigate the hypothesis that vestibular examinations supplied by the Italian National Health...

No actionable change for individual audiologists outside Italy; however, the findings reinforce advocacy for greater access to vestibular diagnostics within publicly funded healthcare systems.

Quantifying the gap between need and supply of vestibular testing highlights a systemic healthcare access problem that may mirror shortfalls in other national health systems globally.

1. 01Italian NHS vestibular exam provision was significantly below estimated patient demand from 2021–2023.
2. 02The study design is ecological, meaning it examines population-level data rather than individual patient outcomes.
3. 03Gaps in vestibular care access can delay diagnosis and worsen outcomes for conditions like BPPV and vestibular neuritis.
4. 04Findings support calls for expanded vestibular diagnostic capacity in public health settings.
5. 05The study period coincides with post-COVID healthcare strain, which may have compounded existing shortfalls.

PMID

42278797

DOI

10.3390/healthcare14111544.

Journal

Healthcare

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Italian National Health Service patient population requiring vestibular examinations, 2021–2023

Intervention

Assessment of vestibular examination provision by the Italian NHS

Comparator

Estimated patient demand for vestibular diagnostics