Cochlear Implant Satisfaction 

Approximately 118,000 adults and 65,000 children in the United States have cochlear implants (CI) (National Institutes of Health, 2021). Most CIs require an external processor, which can at times, may be challenging to use and maintain. The audio processor satisfaction questionnaire (APSQ) was developed to measure user satisfaction with CI processors (Billinger-Finke et al., 2020).

Recently, researchers collected APSQ responses from over 850 adult CI users between 2019–2023. In addition to completing the 15-item APSQ, participants reported their hearing levels in each ear, the hearing device they used, the date they received their CI, their processor model, and the average number of hours per day they used their processor.

The results suggested that subjective satisfaction with the CI processor primarily determined the daily usage duration. Overall, CI user satisfaction was high. Total scores on the APSQ were negatively influenced by those with single-sided deafness (SSD) and male gender.

References

Billinger-Finke, M., Bräcker, T., Weber, A., Amann, E., Anderson, I., & Batsoulis, C. (2020). Development and validation of the audio processor satisfaction questionnaire (APSQ) for hearing implant users. International Journal of Audiology, 59(5), 392–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2019.1697830

Billinger-Finke, M., Hoppe, D. B., Koinig, K. A., Grandelis, E., Connolly, P. F., & Anderson, I. (2026). User satisfaction with cochlear implant audio processors: population norms derived from a large-scale survey campaign. Frontiers in Psychology. 17:1817444. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1817444

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2021, March 25). Quick Statistics About Hearing. NIDCD; National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing