５．Social Effects of Cochlear Implantation

The uptake of cochlear implants(CI)among adults who could benefit(based on pure-tone audiometry)in developed countries is estimated to be less than 10％.Concerns about potential surgical complications, fear of losing residual hearing, and limited awareness about the benefits of this intervention contribute to the low adoption rate.To enhance quality of life and improve the uptake of cochlear implants, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the broader health and social impacts of cochlear implantation.We are currently working to provide the evidence-base to improve understanding of the benefits of CIs through our program of research by applying a public health lens to hearing loss in adults.This includes projects that are improving the capture and use of robust contemporary data.Several examples will be provided including landmark studies initiated in 2022 such as the Hearing impairment in Adults: a Longitudinal Outcomes Study(HALOS) , which aims to assess the health and psychosocial outcomes in over 240 CI users.There will also be a focus on initiatives that aim to develop and implement evidence-based strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of adult-onset hearing loss and enhance the uptake of hearing health services and CIs, such as the Hearing Impairment Data Infrastructure(HEIDI)Study.Finally, there will be a discussion on the development of guidelines at both the global and local level, which aim to improve the management of hearing loss in adults.The coordination and partnership among a range of key stakeholders underlies all these initiatives and this will be highlighted, as this is critical to ensuring the inclusion of adult-onset hearing loss as part of a broader public health strategy.