Table 3. Selected Quotes From Focus Group Participants and Examples of Item Stems From Our Item Bank for Each Theme.
| Theme | Comment (Participant No.) | Item Bank Example |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | “It's so nice to be able to look people in the eye, have a conversation with them rather than looking at their mouth.” (9) “I think ability to understand speech and ability to hear my own voice are equally important.” (8) |
I am able to understand what someone is saying without reading their lips |
| Emotion | “I feel like it’s given me back so much self-confidence, self-esteem and reduced my stress level. [Before my implant] I was stressed all the time about missing things.” (13) “Before [my cochlear implant], I would be so fearful of embarrassing myself.” (15) |
I am embarrassed by my hearing loss |
| Environmental sounds | “It was like a whole new world, standing in my kitchen, hearing my boys out bouncing a basketball. I could hear the basketball with the implant.” (6) “Like bird song, I hadn’t heard it in so long. I was missing it. I longed to hear the birds it was silence. When I first heard it—it was so important.” (15) |
I am able to distinguish sounds in nature |
| Independence and work function | “I was able to keep my job, able to work.” (19) “I am absolutely less dependent on others.” (18) |
I am confident in my ability to keep my current job |
| Listening effort | “I didn’t realize how much energy I was expending trying to listen to conversation. I would be absolutely exhausted.” (9) “In a situation like this I can hear every one of these people clearly, that’s not tiring or stressful but if there’s a restaurant, lots of background noise, clattering and multiple conversations, trying to focus on that one person, yeah, it is tiring.” (15) |
I can easily have a conversation in a noisy place (restaurant, party, store) |
| Social isolation and ability to socialize | “People use the word withdrawn, I definitely pulled back from many commitments, socializing before my implant.” (6) “I felt more included in the world, with friends again, social life, been able to do things that I enjoy doing with my implant.” (14) |
I feel left out when I am with a group of people due to my hearing loss |
| Sound clarity | “I am always after clarity, and that’s what I noticed the most.” (1) “My [new program] they made, that was probably the biggest clarity change for me. Really did make a big difference. Clearer, more distinct.” (6) |
Other people’s voices sound clear and natural to me |