Understanding parental decision-making in the selection of cochlear implant manufacturers: Indian perspective from a tertiary care centre

Abstract Background Cochlear implant (CI) is a neuroprosthetic device that enables individuals with severe to profound hearing loss to hear and communicate. Selection of an appropriate CI manufacturer from amongst the three major global CI manufacturers, namely Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Corporation and MED-EL, can be a daunting and high-stakes decision for CI candidates. On this background, the present questionnaire-based, retrospective survey aimed to better understand the parental decision-making process regarding selection of CI manufacturer for their child. It examined the sources of information utilised by parents and the relative importance of the influencing factors in their decision-making. Results The survey incorporated 57 participants in all. It included parents of children who underwent cochlear implantation between January 2022 and January 2025, at the CI centre of a tertiary care hospital in Western India. Parents of children with cochlear deformity and those with cochlear implantation performed under government schemes were excluded from the study. The majority of the parents (68.42%) cited their auditory habilitationist as the most popular source of information when selecting a CI brand. Regardless of the CI manufacture chosen, parents ranked technology as the most important deciding factor while choosing the device. Conclusions Auditory habilitationist, audiologist and ENT Surgeon were the key sources of information for parents selecting CI manufacturer for their child. The majority of the parents prioritised technology and device construction during the selection process. Results of this study highlight the crucial role played by healthcare professionals in providing accurate, comprehensive and technology-focused guidance to support informed parental decision-making when selecting CI manufacturer.