Cochlear Implant Selection Process: Audiologist Practices

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how cochlear implant audiologists manage the cochlear implant device selection process. Method This study used a cross-sectional survey design. The survey consisted of 17 questions, divided into 3 categories: (a) patient participation in device selection, (b) audiology practice characteristics, and (c) participant demographics. A hard copy of the survey was sent via U.S. Mail to cochlear implant centers across the United States. One hundred and forty-six surveys were completed and included in the analysis. Results In reference to the patient participation portion of the survey, the majority of audiologists (66%; n=97) reported that they require the recipients to choose the manufacturer of their devices, and various reasons were given to explain this decision. In reference to the practice characteristics portion of the survey, reported sources of cochlear implant training were manufacturer\u27s workshops (23%), on-the-job training with cochlear implant audiologist (20%), on-the-job training with manufacturer representative (18%), and fellowship placement at cochlear implant center (14%). Conclusions Audiologists play an important role in managing the selection process for cochlear implants; however, responsibility for the device selection was not typically shared between the audiologists and recipients regardless of training or practice characteristics