New Tool Clarifies CI Eligibility
“Ongoing refinement and prospective validation will be important for successful integration into clinical practice,” the researchers wrote.
By
Doug Brunk
February 3, 2026
Clinical Scorecard: New Tool Clarifies CI Eligibility
At a Glance
Category Detail
Condition Cochlear Implant Candidacy Key Mechanisms Risk-stratification system based on pure tone average (PTA) and unaided word recognition score (WRS) Target Population Adults with hearing loss who may benefit from cochlear implants Care Setting Clinical audiology and otolaryngology practices
Key Highlights
Four-level staging system for cochlear implant candidacy Probability-based assessment enhances shared decision-making Strong discrimination with a C statistic of 0.83 Excludes patients with profound hearing loss and near-zero word recognition Utilizes routine audiometric data for easy application Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Assess candidacy using consonant-nucleus-consonant word score of 50% or lower Utilize PTA and WRS for risk stratification Management
Counsel patients based on staging system results Consider referral for cochlear implant evaluation for borderline cases Monitoring & Follow-up
Evaluate ongoing hearing status and candidacy criteria adherence Risks
Potential under-referral of patients who do not meet traditional candidacy criteria Patient & Prescribing Data
Adults with varying degrees of hearing loss
Staging system aids in identifying borderline candidates for cochlear implants
Clinical Best Practices
Incorporate the staging system into patient-clinician discussions Use PTA and WRS as primary measures for candidacy assessment Stay updated on evolving cochlear implant candidacy criteria Related Resources & Content
