Use of telehealth for research and clinical measures in cochlear implant recipients: a validation study.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to compare clinical and research-based cochlear implant (CI) measures using telehealth versus traditional methods.


METHODS
This prospective study used an ABA design (A = laboratory, B = remote site). All measures were made twice per visit for the purpose of assessing within-session variability. Twenty-nine adult and pediatric CI recipients participated. Measures included electrode impedance, electrically evoked compound action potential thresholds, psychophysical thresholds using an adaptive procedure, map thresholds and upper comfort levels, and speech perception. Subjects completed a questionnaire at the end of the study.


RESULTS
Results for all electrode-specific measures revealed no statistically significant differences between traditional and remote conditions. Speech perception was significantly poorer in the remote condition, which was likely due to the lack of a sound booth. In general, subjects indicated that they would take advantage of telehealth options at least some of the time, if such options were available.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this study demonstrate that telehealth is a viable option for research and clinical measures. Additional studies are needed to investigate ways to improve speech perception at remote locations that lack sound booths and to validate the use of telehealth for pediatric services (e.g., play audiometry), sound-field threshold testing, and troubleshooting equipment.
Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. michelle.hughes@boystown.org
Michelle L
ML
Hughes
Jenny L
JL
Goehring
Jacquelyn L
JL
Baudhuin
Gina R
GR
Diaz
Todd
T
Sanford
Roger
R
Harpster
Daniel L
DL
Valente
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001298:Audiology / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002648:Child; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009329:Nebraska; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult