Background and Objectives Patient-reported outcome measures are essential for evaluating real-world hearing performance in cochlear implant (CI) users.This study aimed to develop the Korean version of the 12-item Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (K-SSQ12) and to evaluate its reliability and validity in Korean-speaking adult CI users. Subjects and MethodThe original English version of the SSQ12 was translated into Korean using standardized forward-backward translation procedures, followed by cultural adaptation, linguistic validation, and assessment of content validity.For psychometric evaluation, 56 adult CI users completed the K-SSQ12 twice, with a 2-week interval.Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's , test-retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and concurrent validity was examined by assessing correlations between K-SSQ12 scores and those of the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire administered concurrently. ResultsThe K-SSQ12 demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's =0.93) and high test-retest reliability (ICC=0.97).Significant correlations were observed between K-SSQ12 scores and the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire, supporting its concurrent validity with a CI-specific quality-of-life measure.Conclusion The K-SSQ12 demonstrated robust psychometric properties, with high reliability and good concurrent validity.It can be used to assess subjective hearing abilities and may serve as a valuable complement to standardized audiological assessments in clinical settings.
Jeong et al. (2026) studied this question.