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. 2023 Oct 10;20(20):6906.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20206906.

QoL, CIs, QALYs, and Individualized Rehabilitation: The Clinical and Practical Benefits of Regularly Assessing the Quality of Life of Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

Luis Lassaletta  1   2 , Miryam Calvino  1   2 , Isabel Sanchez-Cuadrado  1 , Piotr Henryk Skarzynski  3 , Katarzyna B Cywka  3 , Natalia Czajka  3 , Justyna Kutyba  3 , Dayse Tavora-Vieira  4 , Paul Van de Heyning  5 , Griet Mertens  5 , Hinrich Staecker  6 , Bryan Humphrey  6 , Mario Zernotti  7 , Maximo Zernotti  7 , Astrid Magele  8 , Marlene Ploder  8 , Julia Speranza Zabeu  9
Affiliations

QoL, CIs, QALYs, and Individualized Rehabilitation: The Clinical and Practical Benefits of Regularly Assessing the Quality of Life of Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

Luis Lassaletta et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study aimed to report quality of life (QoL) scores in unilateral cochlear implant (CI) users and to generate guidance for clinicians on using QoL measures to individualize CI counselling and rehabilitation and to increase access to CIs as a mode of rehabilitation. Participants (n = 101) were unilateral CI users with single-sided deafness (SSD; n = 17), asymmetrical hearing loss (AHL; n = 26), or bilateral hearing loss (Uni; n = 58). Generic QoL was assessed via the Health Utilities Index (HUI-3), and disease-specific QoL was assessed via the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ12) and Nijmegen CI Questionnaire (NCIQ) at preimplantation and at 6 and 12 months of CI use. All groups had significantly increased HUI-3 scores at both intervals. The SSD group showed significant benefit on the SSQ12 at visit 3, the AHL group showed significant benefit on the SSQ12 and most NCIQ subdomains at both intervals, and the Uni group showed significant benefit with both tests at both intervals. Unilateral CI recipients demonstrate improved QoL within the first 12 months of device use. Regular assessment with generic and disease-specific questionnaires has the potential to play an important role in personalizing treatment and possibly in increasing access to CI provision.

Keywords: asymmetrical hearing loss; cochlear implant; patient reported outcome measure; quality of life; rehabilitation; single-side deafness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Health Utilities Index (HUI-3) scores for each group at each visit. Mean values are depicted as black squares and the medians as horizontal lines. The black circles represent outliers. Higher scores indicate better quality of life (QoL). CI = cochlear implant, SSD = single-sided deafness, AHL = asymmetric hearing loss, Unilateral = unilateral CI user with bilateral deafness.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ12) total scores for each group at each interval. Mean values are depicted as black squares and the medians as horizontal lines. The black circles represent outliers. Higher scores indicate better quality of life (QoL). CI = cochlear implant, SSD = single-sided deafness, AHL = asymmetric hearing loss. Unilateral = unilateral CI user with bilateral deafness.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) scores for each group at each interval. Mean values are depicted as black squares and the medians as horizontal lines. The black circles represent outliers. Higher scores indicate better quality of life (QoL). CI = cochlear implant, SSD = single-sided deafness, AHL = asymmetric hearing loss, Unilateral = unilateral CI user with bilateral deafness.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Hours of daily cochlear implant (CI) use for each group at each postoperative interval. Frequency is in hours per day. SSD = single-sided deafness, AHL = asymmetric hearing loss, Unilateral = unilateral CI user with bilateral deafness.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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