Caring for a child with a cochlear implant: A narrative review of the challenges, needs, and potential digital options for parents of children with cochlear implants.

Objectives: The purpose of this narrative review is to understand the challenges faced by, and needs of, parents of children who are cochlear implant candidates or recipients according to parent reports. Additionally, it seeks to identify potential digital interventions that could provide meaningful support for this population.

Methods: A literature search was conducted across three key areas: challenges faced by parents, parental needs, and current digital interventions. Relevant studies were reviewed, and key themes were extracted.

Results: A total of 131 studies were included in the review. There were 25 studies exploring pre-implantation challenges, 30 studies exploring post-implantation challenges, 27 studies exploring parental needs and 58 studies exploring existing digital interventions.

Conclusion: Parents face significant challenges during both the pre-implantation and post-implantation stages. Pre-implantation challenges include fears about the surgical risks and outcomes, financial costs, choosing a communication modality for their child, stigma, and delays in referrals to services. Post-implantation challenges primarily relate to managing expectations, cochlear implant device maintenance, education, long-term costs and the social implications of the cochlear implant for the child. Parental needs during both stages include information and support from peers. Existing digital interventions for parents of children with health conditions, such as online support groups, mobile health apps, and telemedicine services, show promise for addressing these needs and could be adapted for parents navigating the cochlear implantation process.