Does cochlear implant brand influence patient satisfaction? A survey of 102 cochlear implant users

Abstract

Patients and parents in particular can find the decision regarding which device to have implanted difficult due to the amount of often complicated information that is available. The desire to choose the 'right' implant for themselves or their child takes on great importance due to the finality of the procedure.

There is some evidence that certain patient expectations may be linked to brand choice and marketing strategies.

This study showed that importance of language development was strongly linked with a MED-EL device, and speech improvement with Advanced Bionics.

Despite marketing strategies put forth by the three major cochlear implant companies claiming superiority over each other, there seems to be an equal level of patient satisfaction regardless of the device implanted.

The results of this study can also be seen as good news for industry in that all three brands seem to be at least equivalent in their desired outcomes; however, these results may also be seen as a potential catalyst for a change in marketing strategy.

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