An Overview of Telepractice Applications for Comprehensive Cochlear Implant Service Delivery

Abstract

Purpose: Numerous follow-up appointments are required to program a cochlear implant (CI) sound processor and monitor the patient's progress over time, particularly within the first year of implantation. This, coupled with the specialty nature of CI service delivery and sparsely located clinics, can pose burdens on recipients' time and access to necessary resources for consistent follow-up. Advances in the application of telepractice for CI service delivery have evolved and expanded over recent years, with further utilization spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in late 2019. This review article provides a summary of telepractice applications for adult and pediatric CI processor programming, impedance, and electrically evoked compound action potential testing, speech-perception testing, evaluations of patient and clinician experiences, troubleshooting, and aural rehabilitation for CI recipients. Future directions and opportunities for further implementation of telepractice for CI service delivery are discussed. Conclusions: Studies to date suggest that telepractice can be reliably used for remote sound processor programming for both children and adults, impedance and evoked compound action potential measures, speech-perception testing in adult CI users, and self-monitoring. However, further technological advancements are needed to make remote speech-perception testing more easily implemented, and well-controlled studies are needed to better evaluate the efficacies of aural rehabilitation through teletherapy, particularly for children.

An Interprofessional Approach to Aural Rehabilitation for Adults with Hearing Loss and Cognitive Concerns

“…We provide face-to-face care in a traditional university-based clinical setting and supplement it with teletherapy for individuals who experience health concerns or transportation issues that make it difficult for them to travel to our clinic. Positive effects of teletherapy have been reported both for clients with cognitive decline [72][73][74] and those with hearing loss [75][76][77], but there are no published studies examining outcomes of teletherapy for those with both hearing loss and cognitive decline. While our clients have expressed an appreciation for the option to receive services remotely, further research is needed to document the effects of teletherapy for individuals who have both concerns.…”