The authors investigate the occupations of adults with cochlear implants (CI) compared to those with hearing impairment without implants (HI) and individuals with normal hearing (NH). A total of 204 participants were included: 98 CI users, 52 HI individuals and 54 NH individuals. The Amsterdam Checklist for Hearing and Work was utilised to explore job characteristics, hearing-related activities, listening effort and workplace experience. Job characteristics such as employment type, working hours and supervisory roles appeared similar across all groups. Notably CI users were just as likely as NH individuals to perform a wide range of tasks in their work environments. However, both CI and HI groups perhaps unsurprisingly, reported significantly greater difficulty with activities related to listening, communication and hearing-related tasks, particularly in noisy environments. This group also reported the need to exert greater listening effort when compared to NH peers. Interestingly, the HI group reported the highest need for recovery after work, indicating greater fatigue, while CI users reported moderate need, not significantly different from NH individuals. CI users also reported feeling less need for guidance in managing their hearing loss at work than the HI group. These outcomes for CI users may of course be attributable to rehabilitation and support received as part of the implantation process. They are also indicative of a need to ensure equivalent rehabilitation guidance and support is made routinely available as part of hearing care for people with hearing impairment, hearing aids and / or reported difficulty in the audiology clinic. Conclusions note that hearing loss impacts listening effort and environmental awareness. In this instance, CI users held roles and occupational levels comparable to the group who presented with typical hearing. Findings highlight the importance of rehabilitation and workplace support in improving communication challenges associated with hearing loss.
Occupation, role and performance in adults: a comparative study
Reviewed by Charlotte Rogers
Occupational performance of cochlear implant users: a comparative study with other hearing-impaired and normal-hearing individuals.
CONTRIBUTOR
Charlotte Rogers
BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology), Allied Health Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester.
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