Perceptions Surrounding Cochlear Implants Among At-Risk and Qualifying Older Adults in the United States

OBJECTIVE: Limited evidence to date has examined public perceptions of cochlear implants among adult hearing aid users with moderate to profound hearing loss. The current work was conceived with the chief objective of characterizing the perceptions surrounding cochlear implants among the prospective candidate pool. STUDY DESIGN: National cross-sectional survey study. SETTING: United States. PATIENTS: Adults between 50 and 80 years of age with self-reported moderate to moderately severe (n = 200) or moderately severe to profound (n = 200) hearing loss currently using hearing aids. RESULTS: The overall survey response rate was 12%. Median age at time of survey for the 400 respondents was 66 years (interquartile range, 60–71 yr) and included 215 (54%) men. In total, 26% did not think of hearing loss as a medical condition, and another 23% were unsure. Overall, 63% of respondents had heard of cochlear implants, but only 2% indicated they were very familiar with them. Despite 52% of respondents reporting “very positive” or “somewhat positive” feelings about cochlear implants, only 9% indicated they were “very likely” to get a cochlear implant in the future, including 7% of those with estimated moderately severe to profound hearing loss at time of survey. CONCLUSIONS: Even among people with presumed qualifying levels of hearing loss, there exists a widespread lack of familiarity with cochlear implantation as a viable treatment option. This limited awareness seems influenced by a generally poor appreciation for hearing loss as a chronic disease state that warrants treatment. However, among those familiar with cochlear implants, they are generally viewed favorably.