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Research project

Improving patient outcomes with cochlear implants through the application of data science (AudiLog)

Project overview

Deafness in early and later life has high health and economic costs (£26Bn/annum in the UK) and reduced life chances. Cochlear implants are a cost-effective solution, but low referral rates mean relatively poor penetration (<6%) and adoption of this technology. Clinical capacity and low patient and practitioner awareness are barriers to uptake. We will develop data-driven patient stratification to increase clinical capacity and improve patient outcomes. We will empower patients, improve public awareness of implants, and enable every patient to be a research participant through PPIE.

This project will create the foundation for the use of data-science to improve hearing outcomes for children and adults with a cochlear implant. It will develop the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service longitudinal research database (AudiLog). This study will build on our research into factors associated with patient outcomes after cochlear implantation. The initial data set includes more more than 1900 individual patients over 1000 of whom have high-quality clinical data spanning up to 20 years.

Staff

Lead researcher

Professor Tracey Newman

Professor

Research interests

  • The demographic of populations worldwide is changing. People are living longer but with more years with affected by disability in the last two decades of life. The societal and economic consequences of this change are not being well managed. There is a lag in the development of health interventions and a need for rapid learning for future health and infrastructure planning. Typically, people in poorer economic situations are disproportionately affected by disability in later life.
  • Hearing loss and dementia: I lead multidisciplinary research focussed on hearing loss, the use of cochlear implants to restore hearing in otherwise deaf people and the interaction between hearing loss and dementia.
  • My focus is understanding cellular mechanisms in these conditions and also how the learning and methodologies used to investigate this can be applied across discipline boundaries. I am driving the implementation of data science methodologies for improved management of people who hear with cochlear implants and for the identification of early indicators of cognitive decline. I am championing the engagement of patients in research and as ambassadors to increase awareness of healthcare interventions amongst hard to reach and marginalised communities.
Other researchers

Dr Mary Grasmeder

Senior Clinical Scientist (Audiology)
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