ASHA Learning Pass

Cochlear implantation is now the standard treatment for moderately severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in adults. But the unique needs of older adults and the challenges of service delivery for this group are often overlooked. This session will explore what is currently known about the downstream effects of hearing loss in older adults and discuss ways to proactively optimize communication outcomes for older adults using cochlear implants. The presenters will address cochlear implant candidacy in this growing population, counselling for patients and their families/caregivers, and service delivery modification ideas.

This course is a recorded session from the online conference “Audiology 2017: Cutting-Edge Perspectives in Service Delivery for Older Adults.”

Related Courses

See more sessions from Audiology 2017.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Recognize potential CI candidates in your older patients
• Effectively counsel older adult CI candidates, recipients, family, and caregivers
• Consider modification of the service delivery model and support systems to improve quality of life in older adults with cochlear implants

Presenter Information

Howard W. Francis, MD, MBA, FACS, is a professor and chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences in the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. As a neurotologist, Francis' clinical interests span the full scope of this sub-specialty, including the management of conditions of the ear, skull base, and associated nervous system. His research interests include the determination of best practices of acoustic neuroma treatment, the examination of functional outcomes of cochlear implantation in young children and older adults, and the study of best practices in surgical education. After completing his high school education in Jamaica and his bachelor's degree at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Francis earned his medical degree from the Harvard-MIT division of Health, Science and Technology at Harvard Medical School and then completed his internship, residency, and fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. After 19 years on the faculty at Johns Hopkins, during which he served as residency program director, director of the Johns Hopkins Listening Center, and vice director of the department, he was appointed chief of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke in March 2017.

Financial Disclosures:

• Chief of the Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences Division at Duke University Medical Center
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Surgical advisory board for Advance Bionics Corporation, Cochlear Corporation, and MedEl Corporation

Jennifer Yeagle, MEd, CCC-A, is a cochlear implant audiologist at the Johns Hopkins Listening Center, where she has worked with cochlear implants for the last 18 years. Her research interests focus on the functional outcomes of cochlear implantation in older adults. She completed her bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Central Florida and earned her master's degree in audiology from the University of Virginia. Yeagle completed her audiology clinical fellowship at the University of Virginia Medical Center, where she developed her interest in cochlear implants.

Financial Disclosures:

• Cochlear implant audiologist at Johns Hopkins Listening Center
• Audiology Advisory Board for MedEl
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Adviser for the Hearing Loss Association of America

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete the learning assessment by the end date below.

Program History and CE Information

Online conference dates: October 11–23, 2017
End date: November 29, 2026

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).