With National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) set to update its guidance on cochlear implants for children and adults, hundreds more individuals with 'severe to profound deafness' are likely to become eligible for cochlear implants on the NHS each year. The update involves a revised definition of 'severe to profound deafness' which is used to decide the appropriateness of a cochlear implant.
In the updated guidance, the previous frequency thresholds for defining 'severe to profound deafness' have been lowered, and it is now recognised as only hearing sounds louder than 80dB HL at ≥2 frequencies with no assistance of hearing aids.
This decision was made after the appraisal committee addressed the concerns from stakeholders regarding the eligibility criteria of cochlear implants being outdated. Following a thorough review, the committee decided that it was necessary to update the criteria.
NICE suggests that NHS organisations should do a comparative evaluation of the recommendations with the current practice keeping in account additional costs and savings before considering any changes in practice.