title: Evaluating the health-related quality of life effects of cochlear implants: a prospective study of an adult cochlear implant program.
abstract: This paper prospectively documents the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social participation benefits of adult patients receiving cochlear implants in Australia and New Zealand. Thirty-four consecutively implanted patients completed the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) and Hearing Participation Scale (HPS) instruments before implantation, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Implantation resulted in significant improvements in AQoL and HPS scores, The effect size was 1.09 for both measures. Those in the top socio-economic tertile obtained the greatest gains. The HRQoL and social participation benefits were slightly larger than those reported elsewhere. This may be because participants used more recent technology (Nucleus 24 rather than Nucleus 22) and received auditory and self-efficacy training as part of their rehabilitation. The results suggest that cochlear implants have a large beneficial effect. They show that social and HRQoL outcomes can be parsimoniously measured using the HPS and AQoL instruments.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. graemeeh@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hawthorne
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.forename: Merril
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kethel
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Barb
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plaith
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pedley
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rushbrooke
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003638:Deafness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires