Rapport Frances, Lo Chi Yhun, Elks Beth, Warren Chris, Clay-Williams Robyn
Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
BMJ Open. 2022 Mar 23;12(3):e058406. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058406.
Awareness of the benefits of cochlear implants is low, and barriers such as fear of surgery and ongoing rehabilitation have been noted. Perceived stigma associated with hearing loss also plays a key role, with many adults not wanting to appear old or be identified as a person with a disability. In effect, a cochlear implant makes deafness visible. New technologies have led to a smaller external profile for some types of cochlear implants, but qualitative assessments of benefit have not been explored. This study will examine cochlear implant aesthetics and cosmetics, and its impact on perceived stigma, social interactions, communication and quality of life. A particular focus will be the examination of totally implantable device concepts. A secondary aim is to understand what research techniques are best suited and most appealing for cochlear implant recipients, to assist in future study design and data collection methods.
This study utilises a mixed-methods design. Three datasets will be collected from each participant with an expected sample size of 10-15 participants to allow for data saturation of themes elicited. Each participant will complete a demographic questionnaire, a quickfire survey (a short concise questionnaire on a topic of research familiarity and preference) and a semi-structured interview. Questionnaire and quickfire survey data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed thematically. All participants will be adults with more than 1 year of experience using cochlear implants.
This study has been granted ethical approval from Macquarie University (HREC: 520211056232432) and meets the requirements set out in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. Study findings will be disseminated widely through international peer-reviewed journal articles, public and academic presentations, plain language summaries for participants and an executive summary for the project funder. This work was supported by Cochlear Limited (Cochlear Ltd). The funder will have no role in conducting or reporting on the study.
人们对人工耳蜗益处的认知度较低，且已注意到存在诸如对手术和持续康复的恐惧等障碍。与听力损失相关的感知耻辱感也起着关键作用，许多成年人不想显得年老或被认定为残疾人。实际上，人工耳蜗会使失聪变得明显。新技术已使某些类型的人工耳蜗的外部轮廓更小，但尚未对益处进行定性评估。本研究将考察人工耳蜗的美观性和美容效果，及其对感知耻辱感、社交互动、沟通和生活质量的影响。特别关注的将是对完全植入式设备概念的考察。第二个目标是了解哪些研究技术最适合且最吸引人工耳蜗接受者，以协助未来的研究设计和数据收集方法。
本研究采用混合方法设计。将从每位参与者收集三个数据集，预期样本量为10 - 15名参与者，以实现所引发主题的数据饱和。每位参与者将完成一份人口统计问卷、一份快速调查（一份关于研究熟悉度和偏好主题的简短简明问卷）和一次半结构化访谈。问卷和快速调查数据将使用描述性统计进行分析。访谈将进行转录并进行主题分析。所有参与者均为使用人工耳蜗超过1年的成年人。
本研究已获得麦考瑞大学的伦理批准（人类研究伦理委员会：520211056
