Ecological Momentary Assessment to Obtain Signal Processing Technology Preference in Cochlear Implant Users.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Traditional cochlear implant user assessments rely on lab-based speech tests and retrospective questionnaires.
• Retrospective questionnaires can lead to inaccurate recall of user preferences.
• Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) offers a promising alternative for real-time data collection in clinical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using EMA for in-the-moment feedback from cochlear implant users.
• To assess cochlear implant users' technology preferences in real-world acoustic environments.

Main Methods:

• Eleven adult cochlear implant users participated over two weeks.
• Participants compared two listening programs with different sound processing technologies during daily use.
• Users voted for their preferred program in various everyday acoustic situations.

Main Results:

• 205 votes were collected across six classified listening scenes.
• Significant inter-subject variability in technology preference was observed.
• Some users showed consistent preferences, others adapted preferences to acoustic scenes, and some had no clear preference.

Conclusions:

• EMA is a suitable method for quantifying real-world self-reported preferences of cochlear implant users.
• Individual preferences vary across different listening environments.
• Future research should consider participant prompts to enhance response rates.