AAA Cochlear Implant Practice Guidelines

November 26, 2019, 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET

Presenter: Jessica J. Messersmith

CEUs: 0.1 CEUs

Duration: 60 minutes

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Program Focus: Knowledge

Learner Outcomes: Upon completion, each participant in the eAudiology Web Seminar will be able to:

1. Describe the development process of the AAA cochlear implant practice guidelines.
2. Discuss evidence basis for recommendations in the AAA cochlear implant practice guidelines document.   
3. Discuss how they will apply recommendations in the AAA cochlear implant practice guidelines document to their clinical methods. 

Description: Cochlear implants (CIs) have become a widely successful option for adults and children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, providing them with better access to their surrounding acoustic environment. Improvements in technology have allowed for advancements in CI candidacy and coding strategies. These advancements have allowed CI audiologists greater freedom to program each patient’s CI most optimally, which will lead to better performance outcomes. While certain features and programming flexibility may differ across CI manufacturers, the CI audiologist can manipulate fundamental programming parameters, such as speech-processing coding strategy, electrical stimulation levels, and stimulation mode, during programming sessions. With advancements in CI candidacy and programming manipulation there is a greater need for more standardized care for CI patients across the lifespan.

The American Academy of Audiology Guidelines and Strategic Documents Committee seeks comprehensive evidence-based education and resources for use in clinical practice and research. Through the Strategic Document Committee, a team of cochlear implant researchers and clinicians was commissioned to construct a cochlear implant practice guidelines document to serve as a guide for practicing audiologists. The Cochlear Implant Practice Guideline fills the need for clinicians as they seek to provide optimal patient care. Consistent clinical practice allows clinicians and researchers to evaluate patient outcomes across institutions and learn how to make further advancements.

Within the Cochlear Implant Practice Guidelines are recommendations for every stage of treating a cochlear implant candidate. Current cochlear implant evaluation practices, counseling, fundamental implant programming, outcome measures and therapy are all addressed through the document. This seminar will summarize each of these areas. More specifically, this seminar will discuss the origin and development process for the practice guidelines document. In addition, the recommendations made within the document and the evidence supporting the recommendation will be discussed at length. Material presented will be aimed at supporting attendees in applying an evidence-base for their clinical practice. Clinical applicability will be discussed throughout the session to provide participants with specific tools for use in their respective practice. Although the seminar will be oriented to those with clinical experience in cochlear implantation, new clinicians may find it helpful for developing expertise or a new clinic.

It should be noted that the Cochlear Implant Practice Guideline developed out of the collaboration of over fourteen clinicians and researchers over several years. The current guideline represents the most relevant evidence and expert opinion to date. Practicing clinicians and researchers should find this session and the accompanying document to be readily applicable in every-day practice.

Jessica J. Messersmith is Department Chair, Clinic Director, and an Associate Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at the University of South Dakota. In addition, she provides clinical services and supervision of graduate student clinicians in the areas of cochlear implants and pediatric audiology. Her research focuses on practices in the cochlear implant clinic and improving outcomes of children with cochlear implants through these practices. In a joint effort with the USD Department of Nursing and the South Dakota Department of Health, she works to improve identification of and intervention for infants with hearing loss in South Dakota. She is also heavily involved with her profession’s national organizations.