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Qualitative research
Protocol
Qualitative, multimethod study of behavioural and attitudinal responses to cochlear implantation from the patient and healthcare professional perspective in Australia and the UK: study protocol
  1. Frances Rapport1,2,
  2. Mia Bierbaum1,
  3. Catherine McMahon2,3,
  4. Isabelle Boisvert2,3,
  5. Annie Lau1,
  6. Jeffrey Braithwaite1,2,
  7. Sarah Hughes2,4,5
  1. 1 Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  2. 2 Macquarie University Centre for Implementation of Hearing Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  3. 3 The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  4. 4 South Wales Cochlear Implant Programme, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend, UK
  5. 5 Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
  1. Correspondence to Mia Bierbaum; mia.bierbaum{at}mq.edu.au

Abstract

Introduction The growing prevalence of adults with ‘severe or greater’ hearing loss globally is of great concern, with hearing loss leading to diminished communication, and impacting on an individual’s quality of life (QoL). Cochlear implants (CI) are a recommended device for people with severe or greater, sensorineural hearing loss, who obtain limited benefits from conventional hearing aids (HA), and through improved speech perception, CIs can improve the QoL of recipients. Despite this, utilisation of CIs is low.

Methods and analysis This qualitative, multiphase and multimethod dual-site study (Australia and the UK) explores patients’ and healthcare professionals’ behaviours and attitudes to cochlear implantation. Participants include general practitioners, audiologists and older adults with severe or greater hearing loss, who are HA users, CI users and CI candidates. Using purposive time frame sampling, participants will be recruited to take part in focus groups or individual interviews, and will each complete a demographic questionnaire and a qualitative proforma. The study aims to conduct 147 data capture events across a sample of 49 participants, or until data saturation occurs. Schema and thematic analysis with extensive group work will be used to analyse data alongside reporting of demographic and participant characteristics.

Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for this study was granted by Macquarie University (HREC: 5201700539), and the study will abide by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council ethical guidelines. Study findings will be published through peer-reviewed journal articles, and disseminated through public and academic conference presentations, participant information sheets and a funders’ final report.

  • audiology
  • cochlear implants
  • qualitative research
  • hearing loss
  • focus groups

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019623

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors FR led the conception of the study design, and the acquisition, drafting and revision of the work (for important intellectual content). MB contributed to the design, drafting and revision of the work. CM, IB, AL, JB and SH contributed to the conception of the study design, and the acquisition and revision of the work (critically for important intellectual content). All authors provided final approval of the version published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

    • Funding This work is supported by Cochlear Macquarie University Partnership (MQ-Cochlear).

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number 5201700539)

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.