Clinicians and researchers can use the new “Quality of Life in People with Hearing Loss Questionnaire (HL-QoL)” to assess how hearing loss and treatment affect an individual’s quality of life. As the first validated questionnaire based on the WHO’s international classification of functioning, disability, and health, it is designed to assess hearing outcomes while providing a holistic perspective.

Professor Mario Zernotti, our guest author, shares insights gained from nearly four decades of experience helping children with conductive hearing loss due to microtia and congenital aural atresia, which occurs most commonly in Andes Mountains of South America.

There is growing evidence that cochlear implant recipients may benefit more from their devices if tonotopic mismatch is reduced. After providing an overview of recent research on tonotopic mismatch, this article explores how researchers and clinicians have been working to reduce tonotopic mismatch and improve hearing outcomes for MED-EL cochlear implant recipients.

What factors affect communication outcomes in pediatric cochlear implantation? Research has revealed that age at implantation, family environment, additional disabilities, communication mode, and technological and surgical factors can all influence outcomes.