Research on the hearing implant journey in older adults is scarce. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To conduct a multicenter scoping survey on the clinical routine in the treatment of hearing loss, specifically cochlear implantation, in older adults.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Clinicians serving older cochlear implant candidates should be aware that current routines may not fully address the specific needs of this population — but practice changes should await guideline updates informed by this and similar surveys.
With an ageing global population, optimising cochlear implant pathways for older adults is a pressing equity and access issue that could significantly expand candidacy and improve outcomes at scale.
- 01Multi-centre scoping survey published in Acta Otolaryngologica (Sep 2026).
- 02Focuses specifically on clinical routines and unmet needs for older adult cochlear implant patients.
- 03Scoping design identifies gaps rather than testing an intervention.
- 04Older adults are an underserved and growing cochlear implant candidate population.
- 05Findings could inform future guidelines or care pathway redesign for geriatric CI patients.
There are unmet clinical needs in the cochlear implantation pathway for older adult patients across multiple centres.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42696430
- DOI
- 10.1080/00016489.2026.2725513.
- Journal
- Acta Otolaryngologica
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Clinicians and centres performing cochlear implantation in older adults across multiple sites
- Intervention
- Cochlear implantation clinical routines for older adults
Primary outcomes
Current clinical routines for cochlear implantation in older adults; Unmet needs in cochlear implant care for older adult patients