HTA Details
Implantable Devices for Single-Sided Deafness and Conductive or Mixed Hearing Loss
- Publication date
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2020-March-06
- Status
- Final
- Topic Area
- Ear, Nose and Throat
- Recommendation
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Final Recommendation
Ontario Health, based on guidance from the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee, recommends publicly funding:
- Cochlear implantation for adults and children with single-sided deafness
- Bone-conduction implantable devices for adults and children with single-sided deafness who have a contraindication to cochlear implantation
- Bone-conduction implantable devices for adults and children with conductive or mixed hearing loss
- Ministry Response
-
The Ministry of Health has accepted this recommendation.
-
Some people with hearing loss are not good candidates for standard hearing aids, and surgically inserted devices may help restore their hearing. A cochlear implant is a device that helps the brain perceive sound, and a bone-conduction implant is a device that activates hearing via skull vibration.
Ontario Health looked at how safe and effective these devices are for three types of hearing loss: single-sided deafness, which is profound sensorineural hearing loss (caused by damage to the organ or the nerve in the inner ear) or hearing that is not functional in one ear; conductive hearing loss, caused by a mechanical problem with the ear’s ability to conduct sound vibrations; and mixed hearing loss, which is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
We also looked at the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of publicly funding cochlear and bone-conduction implants, and we talked with people with single-sided deafness, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss to learn about their experiences, preferences and values.
Last Updated: February 24, 2026
