Telephone use: what benefit do cochlear implant users receive?
This study evaluated the use of landline and mobile phones in an international sample of cochlear implant users. A custom-designed survey was mailed to cochlear implant users from four different countries. A link to the survey was posted on the MED-EL website, with responses from a further six countries. Results from 196 surveys show that there is a significant shift from pre-operative non-use of a telephone to use of a telephone post-operatively. Seventy-one percent of MED-EL cochlear implant users are able to use a landline telephone to some extent and 54% are able to use a mobile phone to some extent. Talking to familiar speakers about familiar topics is the easiest listening condition on the telephone, and it is easier to recognize a voice using the landline. Many respondents found it difficult to make a call without some assistance. Most respondents could manage to call someone in an emergency, even on a mobile phone. Data obtained should provide useful information in the counselling and rehabilitation of cochlear implant recipients and candidates.
Anderson
Ilona
I
Clinical Research Department, MED-EL, Innsbruck, Austria.
Baumgartner
Wolf-Dieter
WD
Böheim
Klaus
K
Nahler
Alexander
A
Arnoldner
Christoph
C
Arnolder
Christoph
C
D'Haese
Patrick
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003376:Counseling; D003638:Deafness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*