The beneficial effect of transparent surgical masks on the communication of adults with hearing loss within clinical settings

Purpose: The study examined the benefits of transparent versus non-transparent surgical masks on the speech intelligibility in quiet of adult cochlear implant (CI) users, in conjunction with patient preferences and the acoustic effects of the different masks on the speech signal. Methods: Speech tracking test (STT) scores and acoustical characteristics were measured in quiet for live speech in three different conditions, without mask, with a non-transparent surgical mask and with a transparent surgical mask. Patients were asked about their experience with the face masks. The study sample consists of 30 patients using a cochlear implant. Results: We found a significant difference in speech perception among all conditions, with the speech tracking scores revealing a significant advantage when switching from the non-transparent surgical mask to the transparent one. The transparent surgical mask, although it does not transmit high frequencies effectively, seems to have minimal effect on speech comprehension in practice when lip movements are visible. This substantial benefit is further emphasized in the questionnaire, where 82% of the patients express a preference for the transparent surgical mask. Conclusion: The study highlights significant benefits for patients in speech intelligibility in quiet with the use of medically safe transparent facemasks. Transitioning from standard surgical masks to transparent masks demonstrates highly significant effectiveness and patient satisfaction for patients with hearing loss. This research strongly advocates for the implementation of transparent masks in broader hospital and perioperative settings.