What you’ll learn:
- How the Osia® 3 Sound Processor may benefit eligible recipients
- Clinical evidence supporting the transition from the Osia 2 Sound Processor to the Osia 3 Sound Processor
- How to identify candidates for replacement technology and streamline documentation for efficient ordering
Technology plays a critical role in helping recipients remain connected, confident, and engaged in daily life. For professionals supporting Cochlea Osia® System recipients, conversations about replacement technology provide an important opportunity to assess whether a patient’s current device continues to meet their hearing and lifestyle needs.
For eligible recipients, the rechargeable Osia 3 Sound Processor offers meaningful advancements designed to support speech understanding, convenience, and confidence in everyday listening environments.
Helping Patients Feel Unstoppable
The Osia® 3 Sound Processor is designed to bring speech and subtle sound cues into clearer focus, supporting greater confidence throughout daily activities. Built with Piezo Power™ technology, ForwardFocus, and a wider bandwidth, the system is optimized to enhance speech understanding in complex listening situations.
For many recipients, replacement technology is not simply about upgrading to a newer device. It can help address evolving hearing needs, changes in device performance, or challenges in meeting activities of daily living.
In a pivotal, multi-center study1 (n=29 adult Osia® System recipients), the Osia 3/3(I) Sound Processor demonstrated statistically significant improvements over the Osia 2/2(I) Sound Processor across key hearing outcomes:
- Aided thresholds: 11 dB average improvement in high-frequency aided thresholds across 4, 6, and 8 kHz
- Speech in quiet: 6 percentage point improvement in CNC word recognition at both 50 and 65 dB SPL
- Speech in noise: Clinically meaningful 1.1 dB SNR improvement in adaptive noise, supporting better performance in difficult listening situations
Identifying Recipients Who May Qualify
Proactively reviewing your Osia System recipient population can help identify individuals who may benefit from replacement technology. Begin by identifying recipients whose current sound processor is out of warranty, then assess for additional indicators such as:
- A documented improvement in hearing performance with next-generation technology.
- The device no longer meets the recipient’s activities of daily living.
- The device has been lost or stolen.
Patient records can help streamline this process and efficiently surface potential recipients. For step-by-step guidance, refer to instructions for using NOAH 4 to identify eligible patients (NOAH Quick Guide).
Preparing a Replacement Order
When a recipient is ready to move forward, preparing complete and accurate documentation can help facilitate efficient order processing. Cochlear requires clinical documentation to support medical necessity for replacement.
Required materials should be submitted to upgrade@cochlear.com and must:
- Clearly justify the medical necessity for replacement
- Document that replacement technology was discussed and deemed appropriate
- Include chart notes from visits with an audiologist, physician, or physician assistant
- Include provider signature (handwritten or electronic) with a date/time stamp
A physician prescription will also be requested later in the process by Cochlear’s Reimbursement team.
If you have patients you feel may benefit from the latest Osia Sound Processor technology, please reach out to your local Recipient Solutions Manager, or submit their order to upgrade@cochlear.com.
Want to learn more about the capabilities of the Osia 3 Sound Processor? Explore the details here.
1. Hearing Outcomes with the Osia 3 Sound Processor Compared to the Osia 2 Sound Processor in Adult Osia Implant Recipients (SONUS). Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04754477. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07156461?term=Osia%203%20Sound%20Processor&rank=2
