CI and CP
Reviewed by Badr Eldin Mostafa

Quality of life improvement is one of the main goals of cochlear implantation. Mobile phones are now a standard daily tool. For many implanted patients, a mobile phone is used for sending short messages rather than for voice calls. This is because the mobile phone interferes with the implant and the amount of noise is significant. Manufacturers have devised many techniques and devices to allow patients to use their mobile phones for voice calls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness and usage of such devices by adult cochlear implant users and the benefit and performance of such devices. Among the 17 studied subjects, 71% never used communication devices. When instructed on their use, hearing in quiet and in noisy environments improved significantly. Among the tested systems, induction coils, FM systems and ROGER were superior to headphones or no system at all. Although its conclusions are significant, the study is limited by being conducted on adults only and using only one brand. The main causes of such underuse include lack of information and problems with reimbursement. Both should be tackled to maximise CI benefit and mobility of the patient.

Apport des aides techniques pour l’utilisation du telephone portable par les implantes cochleaires.
Rey P, Cochard N, Rizzoli M, et al.
ANNALES FRANÇAISES D’OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGIE ET DE PATHOLOGIE CERVICO-FACIALE
2016;133(4): 225-9.