Practices in habilitation of pediatric recipients of cochlear implants in India: A survey

Cochlear implant (CI) (re)habilitation programs are long-term processes, with many factors contributing to the overall success. The clinics in India that are working toward pediatric CI habilitation vary in their team philosophy, clinical practices, and service delivery. It is important to explore their clinical perspectives and practices to appreciate their current state and suggest directions for improvement in the future.

The objective of the study was to characterize the current status and clinical practices of the pediatric CI programs in India.

Twenty-two clinics involved in the pediatric CI habilitation program across India participated in the survey. The heads of the CI teams of the participant clinics completed a validated survey questionnaire containing multiple-choice and open-ended questions on the details of the CI habilitation team, assessment and therapy protocols used, and other related clinical services. The categorical data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical measures.

The interpretation of results indicated a need to focus future discussions on early identification and management of hearing impairment, funding for CIs, continuing education programs for professionals, decision processes for providing CIs for children with multiple concerns, choice of language(s) of instruction, assessment protocols used, and outreach/consultation services.