It can be a difficult decision for parents whose children have residual hearing whether or not to undergo cochlear implantation. Their children may seem to be hearing with their hearing aids, and even in some cases can hear without aids. Furthermore, the consideration that this residual hearing may be lost after undergoing implantation can make this a very difficult decision. It can be difficult to appreciate how the lack of access to certain frequencies can impact their child and whether it is worth the risk to the residual hearing. The group in Canada wanted to explore this decision-making process for these parents, which can be very individual, depending on their values. They interviewed the parents of 11 children who had received cochlear implants about how they came to their decision and what was important to them. They classed children with residual hearing as having average hearing thresholds of < 90 dB HL at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz including single-sided deafness. Three key themes emerged from the data. These were: 1) parents’ decisional conflict; 2) values and preferences; and 3) decision support and parents’ needs. One of the major factors that determined whether they decided to undergo implantation was the deterioration of their child’s hearing and the impact this would have. Many parents desired integration into hearing society but they had concerns about loss of residual hearing. Parents also found an individual approach with personalised information and the development of decision-making tools to be helpful. It may be interesting to expand this study further and look at whether the degree of residual hearing had an impact and to gather information on the decision-making process of those parents that chose not to proceed with implantation for their children.
The decision-making process by parents of children with residual hearing who receive cochlear implants
Reviewed by Kerri Millward & Morag Lockley
Cochlear implant decision-making for children with residual hearing: Perspectives of parents.
CONTRIBUTOR
Kerri Millward
Manchester Paediatric Cochlear Implant Programme, Manchester, UK.
View Full Profile
