New Cochlear CoPilot app to help adults improve hearing outcomes through skills training

LONE TREE, Colo., May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Adults with cochlear implants may be able to improve their listening and communications skills in daily life with the help of a new self-guided digital tool by Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions.

Cochlear™ CoPilot is a new mobile app to improve hearing techniques. The app is designed for iPhone^® to provide cochlear implant recipients with information, personalized support, and practical tips for hearing, listening and communication all in the palm of their hand.

For more on Cochlear CoPilot, visit: www.Cochlear.US/CoPilot.

Many adults with cochlear implants don't actively seek appropriate hearing rehabilitation because of a common belief that the hearing technology alone is enough.¹  But while a cochlear implant provides access to sound, research shows that rehabilitation that involves knowledge building and hearing skills training will help recipients improve listening and communication in real-world everyday situations.^2,3 

With this in mind, the app features articles by clinical experts and cochlear implant recipients with tips on a range of topics – from listening in noise and managing listening fatigue, to reconnecting to music and communicating in the workplace. Developed using the latest clinical evidence and proven rehabilitation practices, Cochlear CoPilot also features interactive skill builders designed to help improve listening and communication skills.

"The app has helped me with my listening skills and rehab," said Laurie Goodwin, a 58-year-old physical therapist assistant from Florida who says she wouldn't be able to do her job without her cochlear implant. "I find the skill-up listening practice very helpful in trying to understand words."

Our brains continue to learn new skills across our life.^4,5,6 People who have had their cochlear implant for many years may be able to improve their listening and communication outcomes with focused attention or active practice.¹ 

"Ten minutes, a few times a week, I think it's really made a huge difference in my focus and the way I look at sound. I've had my implant for 15 years and I've pretty much plateaued with my ability – mainly because I don't work on it," said Christine Anthony, a busy mother who runs an IT business in Michigan. "With CoPilot, I love the little listening exercises that help me work on word recognition. I can do them anytime – waiting for a cup of coffee or waiting to pick up a kid from soccer practice. It's like playing a short game."

"At Cochlear, we are committed to improving our service and support offerings to help meet the changing needs of our hearing implant recipients," said René Courtney, Vice President & General Manager, Recipient Services, Cochlear Americas. "As we saw throughout the pandemic, at-home, digital health services are important now more than ever. The addition of Cochlear CoPilot provides cochlear implant recipients with a simple mobile app to help them build their listening and communication skills from the palm of their hand, so they can be better equipped to hear wherever their day may take them."

Cochlear CoPilot is designed to be convenient and easy to use; it is free for download from the App Store^® now in the United States and Canada.

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)
Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of more than 4,000 people and invests more than AUD$180 million each year in research and development. Products include cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implants, which healthcare professionals use to treat a range of moderate to profound types of hearing loss.

Since 1981, Cochlear has provided more than 600,000 implantable devices, helping people of all ages, in more than 180 countries, to hear.

www.cochlear.com/us

References

1. Drouin JR & Theodore RM. (2020). Leveraging interdisciplinary perspectives to optimize auditory training for cochlear implant users. Lang Linguist Compass. 2020 Sep; 14(9): e12394. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12394.
2. Boothroyd A. Adult aural rehabilitation: what is it and does it work? Trends Amplif. 2007 Jun;11(2):63–71.    
3. Ferguson M, Maidment D, Henshaw H et al. Evidence-based interventions for adult aural rehabilitation: that was then, this is now. Semin Hear. 2019 Feb;40(1):68–84.
4. Anderson S & Kraus N. Auditory training: evidence for neural plasticity in older adults. Perspect Hear Hear Disord Res Diagn. 2013 May;17:37–57. 
5. Zendel B, West GL, Belleville S et al. Musical training improves the ability to understand speech-in-noise in older adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2019 Sep;81:102–115.                                                                                                                   
6. Pascual-Leone A, Amedi A, Fregni F et al. The plastic human brain cortex. Ann Rev Neurosci 2005 Jul;28:377–401.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information. Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.

© Cochlear Limited 2021. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE Cochlear Limited