What Can Long-Term Attendance at Programming Appointments Tell Us About Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to understand factors linked to long-term engagement with available post-implant "mapping" review services for individuals who received cochlear implants (CI)(s) as children. STUDY DESIGN: Demographics, communication outcomes, and appointment attendance records from an unselected group of 400 participants who received CI(s) between 1985 and 2009 were analyzed. RESULTS: After 5 years post-implant, 85.75% (n = 343) of participants attended the clinic for "mapping" appointments between March 2011 and March 2014, but 14.25% (n = 57) had not attended "mapping" for more than 3 years before March 2014. Findings showed that participants who did attend routine follow-up "..