Introducing adults to listening resources pre-cochlear implantation using AB SoundSuccessTM rehabilitation resource

Adults under assessment for Cochlear implant (CI) report significant listening difficulties resulting in social withdrawal and feeling isolated. Many prospective candidates wear at least one hearing aid and have some residual hearing but hope that a CI will give them better speech understanding. Advanced Bionics’ SoundSuccessTM rehabilitation resource has been used at the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service (USAIS) since it’s publication for focussed listening practice starting in the initial tuning period. However, some CI users have reported initial reluctance to explore the programme at the same time as getting used to managing their CI equipment. Consequently we now introduce SoundSuccess during the assessment process to allow people to register and become familiar with the activities using their hearing aids.Aim: collect information on prospective CI candidate’s abrehabportal.com registration, access to the rehabilitation resource and views on features of the activities. Methods: participants – all adults referred to USAIS by local Audiology departments who are over 18 years of age and within NICE audiological guidelines. Materials: advanced Bionics flyers for abrehabportal.com; SoundSuccessTM; rehabilitation resource; tablets; questionnaireProcedures: staff establish whether the prospective user is literate and has internet access and if so issue abrehabportal information at the initial appointment. They discuss/explore how the rehabilitation resource can be used with hearing aids at this and two further assessment appointments (communication, expectations) over a three-four month period. At the end of the assessment process information on each prospective user’s ease of registration, access to SoundSuccessTM and responses to the activities will be collected and analysed to see how beneficial the resource is for adults using hearing aids pre CI surgery. Feedback is obtained in clinic via a questionnaire.