Cochlear implants and health status: a comparison with other hearing-impaired patients.
Eighty-four adult cochlear implant (CI) users were compared with 3 other groups of severely to profoundly hearing impaired adults concerning quality of life (QOL): 1) 19 CI candidates who were accepted as candidates for implantation, but who were not operated on; 2) 16 CI candidates whose impairment was not severe enough for implantation; and 3) 60 users of acoustic hearing aids. Generic and disease-specific QOL questionnaires were used. The CI group scored significantly better than the CI candidates who met the criteria for implantation, but who were not operated on, on 2 of 6 categories of a disease-specific QOL measure. The CI patients had significantly less anxiety and depression than the unoperated CI candidates who met the criteria for implantation. Validation and reliability testing of 2 disease-specific QOL measures were performed by factor analyses.
Mo
Birger
B
Department of Otolaryngology, The National Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway.
Harris
Sten
S
Lindbaek
Morten
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life