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Published on: March 8, 2022
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cochlear Implant Usage in Children
Peter Kfoury1, Kathryn Tonkovich2, Eun Kyung Jeon3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced pediatric cochlear implant (CI) usage, with hearing hour percentage (HHP) dropping notably. Targeted support is crucial for CI users during public health crises.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Public health
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to healthcare delivery.
- Pediatric cochlear implant (CI) usage is critical for auditory development.
- Understanding pandemic impacts on CI use is essential for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric cochlear implant (CI) usage.
- To compare hearing hour percentage (HHP) during the pandemic with pre-pandemic levels.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study at a children's hospital.
- Included first-time CI recipients aged 9 months to 18.9 years with at least 1 year of follow-up.
- Calculated HHP and used multivariate linear regression to analyze pandemic-related changes.
Main Results:
- A significant decrease in HHP was observed, dropping from 55.0% in 2019 to 26.2% in 2020.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed a significant HHP reduction in both early (2020-2021) and late (2022-2023) pandemic periods compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- The late pandemic period showed a persistent significant association with reduced HHP after controlling for confounders.
Conclusions:
- Pandemic-related disruptions negatively impacted pediatric CI usage.
- Findings highlight the need for specific interventions and support for children with CIs during public health emergencies.
- Proactive strategies are necessary to mitigate the effects of future crises on essential medical device use.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cochlear implant (CI) usage in children by comparing hearing hour percentage (HHP) during the pandemic to prepandemic levels.
Study Design:
Retrospective Cohort Study.
Setting:
Primary Children's Hospital, Utah.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review was conducted for children aged 9 months to 18.9 years old who underwent CI between January 2018 and September 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised first-time CI recipients with at least 1 year of follow-up data. HHP was calculated by dividing total wear time by the expected daily awake time based on the patient's age. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to control for confounding variables of HHP, with demographic, clinical, and procedural variables entered as independent variables.
Results:
A total of 156 patients were included. A significant decline in HHP was observed during the pandemic, from 55.0% (SE = 4.3, n = 30) in 2019 to 26.2% (SE = 5.5, n = 22) in 2020. Regression analyses also revealed a significant decrease in HHP during both the early pandemic period (2020-2021) (P = .0014) and late in the pandemic period (2022-2023) (P = .011) compared to pre-pandemic levels. After controlling for confounders, the late pandemic period remained significantly associated with a reduction in HHP (β = -15.6, P = .018), but the decline in HHP during the early phase of the pandemic was no longer significant.
Conclusion:
Pandemic-related disruptions led to a decline in pediatric CI use, underscoring the need for targeted support during public health crises.
