Social Determinants of Health and Impact on Cochlear Implant Performance

To explore the association of social determinants of health (SDH) on postoperative speech perception outcomes in adult CI recipients.

Audiologists and CI teams should screen for social determinants of health pre-operatively, as socioeconomic and environmental factors appear to independently influence post-implant speech perception outcomes — though causality and which factors matter most require prospective confirmation.

Identifying modifiable social barriers to cochlear implant success could help clinics tailor rehabilitation support and reduce outcome disparities across patient populations.

1. 01Retrospective cohort design examining adult cochlear implant recipients' postoperative speech perception.
2. 02Social determinants of health (e.g., income, education, housing) were associated with CI outcome differences.
3. 03Published in Otolaryngology–Neurotology (2026); findings add to a growing equity literature in CI care.
4. 04Retrospective design limits causal inference; prospective studies are needed.
5. 05Results highlight potential need for pre-surgical social risk screening in CI candidacy evaluation.

PMID

42303278

DOI

10.1097/MAO.0000000000004979.

Journal

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery: Otology & Neurotology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Adult cochlear implant recipients

Intervention

Assessment of social determinants of health as predictors of CI outcomes