To answer the following question: what are the expectations of families of children and adolescents regarding the benefits of cochlear implant (CI) use?
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Cochlear implant teams should systematically assess and manage family expectations pre-operatively and throughout rehabilitation, as unrealistic expectations are a documented risk to outcomes.
Family expectations are a modifiable factor in pediatric cochlear implant success, and a synthesised evidence base strengthens the case for structured pre-implant counselling protocols.
- 01Systematic review and meta-analysis of family expectations for pediatric cochlear implants.
- 02Covers children and adolescents as the implant population.
- 03Identifies patterns in what families hope to gain from cochlear implantation.
- 04Highlights that expectation management is a clinically relevant component of implant care.
- 05Findings can inform pre-implant counselling and post-implant support frameworks.
Family expectations regarding cochlear implant benefits significantly influence outcomes in children and adolescents.
studysupported- PMID
- 42698146
- DOI
- 10.1080/14670100.2026.2728209.
- Journal
- Cochlear Implants International
- Publication type
- meta_analysis
- Evidence level
- 1a
- Population
- Families of children and adolescents who received or were candidates for cochlear implants
- Intervention
- Cochlear implantation in children and adolescents
Primary outcomes
Family expectations regarding cochlear implant benefits; Factors influencing family expectations pre- and post-implantation