Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQOL) Instruments for Adult Assessment

Person-centered approach to measuring real-world functional abilities in adult CI users

The Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQOL) suite of instruments provides a comprehensive assessment of functional abilities in adults with cochlear implants (CIs).

The items and domains included in the CIQOL instruments were developed using direct patient engagement (CI user focus groups and patient interviews) to ensure they reflect the experiences important to CI users.   Then, using stringent psychometric methods, including factor analysis and item response theory (IRT), and following rigorous guidelines, we created the CIQOL-35 Profile instrument, CIQOL-10 Global measure, and the CIQOL-Expectations instrument.  In addition, the CIQOL Functional Staging System enhances the interpretability and clinical application of the CIQOL instruments and associated domain scores.

Our research program has taken a person-centered approach, including direct engagement with CI users, their families, and CI clinicians, to ensure that all outcomes are meaningful to CI users and to encourage realistic expectations and shared decision-making. This person-centered approach contrasts with many previously developed patient-reported outcome measures, which were developed using expert opinion.

Please visit https://education.musc.edu/CIQOL for more information and to download the CIQOL instruments at no cost.