Authors: Andreas Markidis¹; James R. Tysome¹; Tobias Goehring¹; Tsvetemira Koleva¹; Susan Eitutis¹
¹University of Cambridge
Background: Cochlear Implants (CI) require lifelong specialist follow-up, yet growing patient numbers are outpacing clinic capacity. Telehealth has demonstrated reliable remote assessment outcomes, but existing tools are manufacturer specific. AUDITO is the first brand-agnostic web-based platform delivering controlled auditory tests via Bluetooth streaming. Clinical validation is needed to confirm equivalence with standard in-clinic testing.
Method: Adult CI users attending routine annual review were recruited. Participants completed BKB sentence and AB word list tests in both a calibrated in-clinic booth and independently at home via AUDITO. Response recordings were resampled to 16kHZ in MATLAB prior to scoring. A structured questionnaire captured usability, technical feasibility, acceptability and clinical comparison across four domains. Paired statistical analysis was conducted in R.
Results: Data collection is ongoing. Preliminary findings will report speech perception scores across in-clinic and remote AUDITO conditions, alongside patient-reported outcomes from the usability questionnaire. Statistical comparisons and full results will be reported upon completion.
Conclusion: AUDITO represents a promising step toward decentralising CI care. Clinical Validation of this platform could provide a scalable, brand-agnostic solution for remote CI monitoring across the UK and internationally, reducing patient burden and alleviating clinical workload. Wider adoption would support improved access to specialist audiology care regardless of geography, offering a sustainable model for the growing global CI population.
