Effectiveness of the ForwardFocus Feature in Cochlear Implant Patients in Noisy Environments

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the ForwardFocus (FF) feature in cochlear implant (CI) users by evaluating its impact on speech comprehension in noisy environments, potentially improving communication outcomes for individuals with hearing loss.

A prospective study was conducted on 48 CI users from an audiology clinic over a 7-month period, between July 2023 and February 2024. Native Arabic speakers, using either N7 or Kanso2 external processors with the FF feature, were recruited. The study measured aided audiometry, word recognition score, and speech comprehension in noise using the Arabic Matrix Test with and without the FF feature, along with a survey assessing ease of use and satisfaction among other factors.

The impact of FF on speech perception and user experience in CI users were evaluated. FF significantly improved speech perception in noise (p < 0.001), with users reporting high satisfaction (54.3% very satisfied, 26.1% satisfied) and intention to continue using FF (97.8%). Most participants used FF 1-2 times a week (56.5%), with 17% using it daily. Most found its noise reduction to be adequate (82.6%).

FF effectively enhanced speech understanding, with users expressing high satisfaction and intention to continue using the feature. This suggests FF's ability to improve communication and quality of life for CI users.