Inconsistent device use in pediatric cochlear implant users: Prevalence and risk factors

Area of Science:

• Pediatric audiology
• Speech-language pathology
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Cochlear implants (CIs) offer hearing access for children with severe hearing loss.
• Inconsistent device use (<8 hours/day) can impede spoken language acquisition.
• Previous studies may underestimate inconsistent CI use due to reliance on subjective parent reports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors for inconsistent daily device use in pediatric CI users.
• To utilize objective datalogging for measuring device usage.
• To compare objective usage data with demographic, audiologic, and device factors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 71 pediatric CI users.
• Objective device usage data collected via datalogging.
• Statistical analyses included non-parametric correlations, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests.

Main Results:

• Children with CIs used devices an average of 7.6 hours/day; 50% used them less than full-time.
• Poorer device use correlated with younger chronological age, additional disabilities, lower maternal education, younger implantation age, Medicaid use, and smaller dynamic range.
• Objective datalogging revealed higher prevalence of inconsistent use than previously reported.

Conclusions:

• Inconsistent cochlear implant use is prevalent in children, potentially more so than previously estimated.
• Younger age, presence of disabilities, and socioeconomic factors are associated with reduced device usage.
• Objective datalogging is crucial for accurate assessment and targeted family counseling.