Cochlear Implant Counseling for Adults

When deciding to get a cochlear implant, patients have a lot of considerations, worries, and hopes. They also have a lot of questions about how well they will be able to hear after the device has been switched on.

In addition to successful surgery, well-planned and intensive rehabilitation is critical if patients are to get the most out of their CIs. The Ida Institute has developed two online tools to help CI patients organize their thoughts, hopes, and concerns during the six months following switch-on.

During the first three months after switch-on, patients must learn how to decipher speech and differentiate between sounds. Until the patient becomes comfortable with speech and noise, there may be a limit to how much they enjoy interacting with others and participating in social activities.

The Ida tools can help identify the people with whom and scenarios in which it is most important for the patient to improve their hearing and communication.

In the first three months following switch-on, The People I Talk To is valuable for helping patients organize their thoughts so they can come to appointments prepared to discuss their hopes and concerns. The People I Talk To also asks patients to identify whom in their social network they communicate with most often. This can be useful in the early stages following switch-on when patients are still learning to cope with speech and noise.

Between the three and six month mark, patients will typically begin to become socially active again. Living Well enables patients to identify important communication situations and think about strategies for managing them.

Both tools can be completed at home on computers, tablets, or phones. Patients can email their answers or print them out to bring to the appointment, helping them come prepared for a more focused discussion about their needs.