Hygiene and disinfection are at the forefront of conversation during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help answer your patients’ questions about thoroughly cleaning their Cochlear™ sound processors, we’ve provided this FAQ.
Topics include:
Review Prepared by Janette Oliver, Global Outcomes & Rehabilitation Manager, Cochlear Limited, BA., Dip Teach., M.Ed., PG Dip.Ed(Hearing Impaired) Dip.Aud., MA., MAudSA,CCP, Cert AVT
Hearing loss is complex and impacts on every aspect of a person’s life. The aim of aural rehabilitation is to help improve an individual’s quality of life through optimizing hearing function and communication.
To do this in a meaningful way we need to move beyond the assumption that device fitting alone is enough.
This assumption may discourage adult cochlear implant recipients from seeking appropriate aural rehabilitation and is often the reason why passive exposure is commonly recommended to recipients in clinics.
As a result, adult cochlear implant users typically adapt to the implant passively through everyday exposure to routine sounds in order to accurately pair an auditory stimulus to meaning.1
However, while device fitting alone may lead to improved hearing outcomes, a more holistic approach to rehabilitation which also addresses combined perceptual and cognitive skills training, knowledge acquisition and counseling will support broader real-life listening and communication outcomes. 2,3
A holistic approach is also shaped by the requirements of the individual – their needs, abilities, social and physical contexts and preferences.
Several researchers have also argued that hearing loss needs to be managed under a model of care that follows on from the World Health Organisation ICF framework for intervention and treatment of disability.4
This framework not only considers the physical hearing impairment (fitting appropriate technology), but also:
More recently, Moberly et al (2020) proposed a comprehensive auditory rehabilitation approach along similar lines, incorporating device fitting and management, instruction, counseling and auditory training maximizes the opportunity to optimize speech recognition and quality of life outcomes for adult cochlear implant users.6
The pilot study conducted by this group demonstrated that such an holistic approach is feasible with adult cochlear implant users. A larger-scale trial is recommended by the authors to demonstrate the efficacy of this comprehensive auditory rehabilitation (CAR) approach as compared to current standard-of-care or additional preoperative counselling.
References:
1. Drouin, J. R., & Theodore, R. M. (2020). Leveraging interdisciplinary perspectives to optimize auditory training for cochlear implant users. Language and Linguistics Compass. https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12394
2. Boothroyd, A (2007). Adult aural rehabilitation: what is it and does it work? Trends Amplif. 2007 Jun;11(2):63-71.
3.Ferguson, M., Maidment, D., Henshaw, H., & Heffernan, E. (2019). Evidence-Based Interventions for Adult Aural Rehabilitation: That Was Then, This Is Now. Seminars in hearing, 40(1), 68–84. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1676784]
4. McMahon, C, Gopinath, Schneider,J, Reath,J., Hickson,L, Leeder,S., Mitchell, P., Cowan, R. (2013) The Need for Improved Detection and Management of Adult-Onset Hearing Loss in Australia. International Journal of Otolaryngology Volume 2013, Article ID 308509, https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/308509]
5. [https://www.who.int/classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health]
6. Moberly, A. C., Vasil, K., Baxter, J., Klamer, B., Kline, D., & Ray, C. (2020). Comprehensive auditory rehabilitation in adults receiving cochlear implants: A pilot study. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology. https://doi.org/10.1002/lio2.442.
You know that early access to sound can make all the difference for your pediatric patients. The Cochlear™ Lend an Ear Program was created for children 12 and under who need early access to sound through a bone conduction solution.* Our unique program enables you to fit your patients with a Baha Start System using a Baha® 6 Max Sound Processor while the insurance approval process takes place. With this program, your patients gain access to critical sounds as early as possible to help them hear, learn and develop essential communication skills.
* The Cochlear Lend an Ear Program is offered in the United States only and is for pediatric patients who are new to a non-surgical bone conduction solution.
In the United States and Canada, the placement of a bone-anchored implant is contraindicated in children below the age of 5.
The Cochlear Baha 6 Max Sound Processor is compatible with Apple and Android devices. For compatibility information visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility
