The use of smartphone applications in the aftercare of Cochlear Implant patients

As the indication criteria for the use of Cochlear Implants (CIs) continuously expand, along with the lifelong aftercare associated with the implantation, the number of patients requiring care is steadily increasing. It is foreseeable that with the growing number of CI patients, a central annual routine check-up for all patients at implantation centers will not be sustainable in the long run. One way to address this is through aftercare using modern smartphone apps that involve patients in the therapy concept. This so-called "Patient Empowerment" is already being used in the treatment of diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, and similarly, CI aftercare could be supported through the use of corresponding apps. In a chronic feasibility study that began in November 2022, 20 CI patients with the Advanced Bionics Naida-M system receive a smartphone app which allows the measurement of parameters such as electrode impedances, microphone status, or the skin thickness between the external and internal coil to check system integrity. Furthermore, patients can adjust settings on their hearing programs and save these changes. They can also perform a hearing test, such as the Oldenburg Sentence Test (OlSa) in noise, through the app, thereby documenting their hearing progress. The collected data are transmitted to a central server and can be accessed by the treating CI center. 12 patients have already been enrolled in the study and are using the app's capabilities for program adjustment and retrieving the self-created programs in specific hearing situations. Current results and evaluations will be presented during the presentation.