Overview
- The NIHR‑funded, Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s‑led trial will compare one versus two cochlear implants across 14 NHS hospitals with more than 250 adult participants.
- Current NICE guidance limits most deaf adults to a single implant after past reviews judged two not cost effective due to limited comparative evidence.
- The randomized study will track patient‑reported hearing, speech understanding in noise, listening effort, and quality of life for 12 months and will assess cost effectiveness for the NHS.
- Eligible participants are adults who became deaf later in life and do not already have an implant, with trained implant users helping to interview participants to capture outcomes that matter to patients.
- Researchers plan to submit results to NICE to inform a potential guideline update, as patients like opera singer Janine Roebuck—who funded a second implant in 2019—report better spatial hearing and less isolation with two devices.