title: Health-related quality of life outcomes following adult cochlear implantation: A prospective cohort study.
abstract: The benefits of cochlear implantation extend beyond improved speech recognition and into overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Several measures of HRQoL, categorized as generic or disease specific, have been used in the cochlear implant literature. The clinical utility of generic HRQoL measures have been reported to be variable by previous investigators. The degree to which HRQoL correlates to speech perception is largely unknown.
  
  
  
  A prospective single-subject design at a large tertiary care center. Self-reported HRQoL was measured at the preoperative and 12-month post-activation test intervals. The measures of HRQoL included a generic form, (Medical Outcome Study Short Form; SF-36), and disease specific form (Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire; NCIQ). Speech recognition was measured at the preoperative, 6- and 12-months post-activation test intervals using the Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) monosyllabic word test.
  
  
  
  A total of 61 patients (mean 67 years; range 30-87 years) were included in the final analysis. Average speech recognition on the CNC word test was 10% pre-operatively, and 66.7% at 12-months post-activation. The HRQoL scores improved significantly for seven of the eight subdomains of the NCIQ, and one of the nine domains of the SF-36.
  
  
  
  Cochlear implantation significantly improves HRQoL, regardless of age. Disease specific measures, such as the NCIQ, are better able to demonstrate differences in HRQoL compared to general health surveys.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Sladen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olund
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teece
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DeJong
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Alyce
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Breneman
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Matthew L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Neff
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Becky
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hughes-Borst
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Colin L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Driscoll
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013067:Speech Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cochlear implant; Quality of life; Speech understanding