Bimodal Programming: A Survey of Current Clinical Practice
Publication: American Journal of Audiology
Volume 24, Number 2
Pages 243-249
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to determine the current clinical practice in approaches to bimodal programming in the United States. To be specific, if clinicians are recommending bimodal stimulation, who programs the hearing aid in the bimodal condition, and what method is used for programming the hearing aid?
Method
An 11-question online survey was created and sent via email to a comprehensive list of cochlear implant programming centers in the United States. The survey was sent to 360 recipients.
Results
Respondents in this study represented a diverse group of clinical settings (response rate: 26%). Results indicate little agreement about who programs the hearing aids, when they are programmed, and how they are programmed in the bimodal condition. Analysis of small versus large implant centers indicated small centers are less likely to add a device to the contralateral ear.
Conclusions
Although a growing number of cochlear implant recipients choose to wear a hearing aid on the contralateral ear, there is inconsistency in the current clinical approach to bimodal programming. These survey results provide evidence of large variability in the current bimodal programming practices and indicate a need for more structured clinical recommendations and programming approaches.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Ching, T. Y., Incerti, P., & Hill, M. (2004). Binaural benefits for adults who use hearing aids and cochlear implants in opposite ears. Ear and Hearing, 25, 9–21. doi:10.1097/01.AUD.0000111261.84611.C8
Ching, T. Y., Incerti, P., Hill, M., & van Wanrooy, E. (2006). An overview of binaural advantages for children and adults who use binaural/bimodal hearing devices. Audiology and Neuro-Otology, 11(Suppl. 1), 6–11. doi:10.1159/000095607
Cullington, H. E., & Zeng, F. G. (2010). Bimodal hearing benefit for speech recognition with competing voice in cochlear implant subject with normal hearing in contralateral ear. Ear and Hearing, 31, 70–73. doi:10.1097/AUD.0b013e3181bc7722
Dillon, H. (1999). NAL-NL1: A new procedure for fitting non-linear hearing aids. Hearing Journal, 53(4), 10–16.
Dunn, C. C., Tyler, R. S., & Witt, S. A. (2005). Benefit of wearing a hearing aid on the unimplanted ear in adult users of a cochlear implant. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 48, 668–680. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2005/046)
Foreman, C. L. (2014). Nucleus hybrid cochlear implant system [FDA approval letter]. Retrieved from http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf13/P130016a.pdf
Gfeller, K., Oleson, J., Knutson, J. F., Breheny, P., Driscoll, V., & Olszewski, C. (2008). Multivariate predictors of music perception and appraisal by adult cochlear implant users. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 19, 120–134.
Kochkin, S. (2010). MarkeTrak VIII: The impact of the hearing healthcare professional on hearing aid user success. The Hearing Review, 17, 12–34.
Kochkin, S. (2011). MarkeTrak VIII: Reducing patient visits through verification and validation. Hearing Review, 18, 10–12.
McDermott, H., & Henshall, K. (2010). The use of frequency compression by cochlear implant recipients with postoperative acoustic hearing. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 21, 380–389. doi:10.3766/jaaa.21.6.3
Mok, M., Grayden, D., Dowell, R. C., & Lawrence, D. (2006). Speech perception for adults who use hearing aids in conjunction with cochlear implants in opposite ears. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 338–351. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2006/027)
Neuman, A. C., & Svirsky, M. A. (2013). Effect of hearing aid bandwidth on speech recognition performance of listeners using a cochlear implant and contralateral hearing aid (bimodal hearing). Ear and Hearing, 34, 553–561. doi:10.1097/AUD.0b013e31828e86e8
Potts, L. G., Skinner, M. W., Litovsky, R. A., Strube, M. J., & Kuk, F. (2009). Recognition and localization of speech by adult cochlear implant recipients wearing a digital hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing). Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 20, 353–373.
Scollie, S., Seewald, R., Cornelisse, L., Moodie, S., Bagatto, M., Laurnagaray, D., & Pumford, J. (2005). The desired sensation level multistage input/output algorithm. Trends in Amplification, 9, 159–197.
Tyler, R. S., Parkinson, A. J., Wilson, B. S., Witt, S., Preece, J. P., & Noble, W. (2002). Patients utilizing a hearing aid and a cochlear implant: Speech perception and localization. Ear and Hearing, 23, 98–105.
Ullauri, A., Crofts, H., Wilson, K., & Titley, S. (2007). Bimodal benefits of cochlear implant and hearing aid (on the non-implanted ear): A pilot study to develop a protocol and a test battery. Cochlear Implants International, 8, 29–37. doi:10.1179/cim.2007.8.1.29
van Hoesel, R. J. (2012). Contrasting benefits from contralateral implants and hearing aids in cochlear implant users. Hearing Research, 288(1–2), 100–113. doi:10.1016/j.heares.2011.11.014
Zeng, F. G. (2002). Temporal pitch in electric hearing. Hearing Research, 174(1–2), 101–106.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
History
- Received: Nov 19, 2014
- Revised: Apr 7, 2015
- Accepted: Apr 19, 2015
- Published in issue: Jun 1, 2015
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Article Metrics
View all metricsCitations
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.
Citing Literature
- Marco Carner, Luca Bianconi, Luca Sacchetto, Valerio Arietti, Riccardo Nocini, Maria Sofia Salvetta, Giuditta Maulu, Alessandro Diodati, Luca Turchet, The"symbiotic"regulation approach in bimodal hearing adults, Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 10.1007/s12070-025-05449-w, (2025).
- Manal Alfakhri, Nicole Campbell, Ben Lineton, Daniel Rowan, Patrick Boyle, International survey of bimodal hearing and bilateral cochlear implant service provision for adults, Cochlear Implants International, 10.1080/14670100.2024.2413267, 25, 4, (260-274), (2024).
- Yang-Soo Yoon, Reagan Whitaker, Naomi White, Frequency importance functions in simulated bimodal cochlear-implant users with spectral holes, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 10.1121/10.0026220, 155, 6, (3589-3599), (2024).
- Hyo Jung Choi, Soo Hee Oh, Case Reports of Hearing Aid Fitting in Bimodal Cochlear Implant Adults, Audiology and Speech Research, 10.21848/asr.230099, 19, 2, (160-164), (2023).
- Lars Lambriks, Marc van Hoof, Erwin George, Elke Devocht, Extending the audiogram with loudness growth: The complementarity of electric and acoustic hearing in bimodal patients, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0277161, 18, 4, (e0277161), (2023).
- Jourdan T. Holder, Meredith A. Holcomb, Hillary Snapp, Robert F. Labadie, Jantien Vroegop, Christine Rocca, Mohamed Salah Elgandy, Camille Dunn, René H. Gifford, Guidelines for Best Practice in the Audiological Management of Adults Using Bimodal Hearing Configurations, Otology & Neurotology Open, 10.1097/ONO.0000000000000011, 2, 2, (e011), (2022).
- Hyekyoung Hwang, Timothy Kim, Leehwa Park, Soo Hee Oh, A Retrospective Study of Bimodal Benefits of Cochlear Implant Children, Audiology and Speech Research, 10.21848/asr.210043, 18, 1, (1-8), (2022).
- Leehwa Park, Soo Hee Oh, Speech and Sound Quality Recognition in Adults Bimodal Cochlear Implant Listeners, Audiology and Speech Research, 10.21848/asr.210013, 17, 2, (198-205), (2021).
- Justine Wathour, Paul J. Govaerts, Naïma Deggouj, Variability of fitting parameters across cochlear implant centres, European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 10.1007/s00405-020-06572-w, 278, 12, (4671-4679), (2021).
- Junghwa Bahng, Soo Hee Oh, A Literature Review of Bimodal Fitting, Audiology and Speech Research, 10.21848/asr.200049, 16, 4, (265-275), (2020).
View Options
Sign In Options
ASHA member? If so, log in with your ASHA website credentials for full access.
Member Login