Exploring views on current and future cochlear implant service delivery: the perspectives of users, parents and professionals at cochlear implant centres and in the community.

Objective: The objective of this survey was to explore the perceptions of implant users/carers and professionals across the UK about current and future cochlear implant service delivery and the challenges.

Methods: Data were collected via an online questionnaire consisting of totally 22 questions. The questionnaire contained both open- and close-ended questions.

Results: Totally, seven hundred and forty-eight responses were received. In spite of the wide range of respondents, there was a broad consensus of opinion across groups. The majority of participants were satisfied with the service they currently receive, but wanted some changes. They reported their current experience of implant services to be mainly driven by decisions made by the implant team. For the future, they preferred the service to be mainly driven by decisions made jointly by the team and the user and/or parent/carer. The majority of participants wanted the cochlear implant services to be integrated into local audiology and other services such as education. Restrictions on number of candidates funded and political decisions and issues were seen as major challenges. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses supported the questionnaire responses.

Conclusions: This research highlighted the benefits and limitations of the current cochlear implant service delivery as well as the potential implications for the long term. While respondents were generally happy with the current cochlear implant service provision, they expressed some concerns about the long-term sustainability and management, wanting integration into the local services, and more involvement of parents and users in decisions.