title: The development of a Children's Implant Profile.
abstract: The decision to provide a child with a cochlear implant is quite complex, as it must include consideration not only of the implant itself but also of the habilitative services necessary following the surgical procedure. To provide a systematic means of selecting hearing-impaired children for cochlear implants, a team at Children's Hearing Institute, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, developed the Children's Implant Profile (ChIP). There is no one profile of a successful implant user--at least 11 factors appear to contribute to successful implantation. In the ChIP, each factor is evaluated on a three-point scale: (1) no concern, (2) mild-to-moderate concern, and (3) great concern. A profile showing "no concern" on all 11 factors denotes clear acceptability of the child as an implant candidate. A profile including several ratings in the "mild-to-moderate concern" category suggests a need for further study to determine if improvements could be made in projected outcomes before initiating surgical procedures. Finally, ratings of "great concern," especially on more than one factor, indicate a very limited probability of successful implant outcomes, at least at the time of evaluation. A case study is presented to demonstrate the relationship between the evaluated factors and to show how the profile is used to address and remedy areas of concern.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hearing Institute, New York.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hellman
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chute
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kretschmer
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nevins
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Parisier
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Thurston
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male