The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released the report Evaluating Hearing Loss for Individuals with Cochlear Implants.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) requested that NASEM study and recommend generalized testing procedures and criteria for evaluating the level of functional hearing ability needed to make a disability determination in adults and children after cochlear implantation.

The SSA relies on Listing of Impairments (Listings), lists of medical conditions that qualify a candidate for disability benefits. The Listing currently used by SSA for hearing loss in individuals with cochlear implants requires the use of the Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT) performed in a quiet sound field with specific criteria. However, the Listing for hearing loss not treated with cochlear implants does not require use of a specific test such as HINT. Still having comparable levels of validity and specificity, sensitivity, and reliability, the SSA was seeking to have general criteria that could be evaluated using other hearing tests and not just HINT.

NASEM convened a consensus study group consisting of a distinguished panel of audiologists, physicians, and other researchers to use published evidence and professional judgment to make recommendations. The report offers an in-depth analysis of different test options and offers a comparison to HINT. The study group provides the following overall recommendation:

Given the limitations of the Hearing-in-Noise Test, the committee recommends the use of a monosyllabic word-recognition test to assess hearing loss in individuals treated with cochlear implantation, consistent with what the U.S. Social Security Administration currently uses to determine disability in adults and children with hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation. The administration of the word test should include a full word list that is standardized and phonetically or phonemically balanced.

Furthermore, the study group provides recommendations for a standardized test setup and the 60-decibel sound pressure level with a score of 40 percent or less on a monosyllabic word test as the cut-off criterion.

Read the full report from the National Academies Press.

Share this

Related Posts

The Utilization of Telehealth Services (Drazen Zigic/shutterstock.com)

The Utilization of Telehealth Services

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Academy of Audiology (2020) provided audiologists with guidance regarding the use of telehealth services. In October 2021, the Academy released a position statement titled The Use of Telehealth for the Delivery of Audiological Services. Members can access this statement here. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have expanded telehealth services,…

Read More
Postural Sway Observations in Children with ADHD

Postural Sway Observations in Children with ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects approximately five percent of the pediatric population. Up to 50 percent of children with ADHD also exhibit motor control and balance issues in addition to the more commonly seen symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Fidgeting, poor motor planning, increased postural sway, and difficulty sitting still may be related…

Read More
Deaths from Unintentional Falls in Older Adults (Cedric E/shutterstock.com)

Deaths from Unintentional Falls in Older Adults

At the end of September 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data overviewing rates of death resulting from unintentional falls between the years of 1999–2020 by adults 65 years and older (Garnett et al, 2022). The report showed that death rates have increased, with the largest increase seen by those aged…

Read More