The British Cochlear Implant Group Quality Standards for 2022

Craddock, Louise, Cullington, Helen and Jiang, Dan (2022) The British Cochlear Implant Group Quality Standards for 2022. British Cochlear Implant Group conference 2022: Being of sound health - the life benefits of auditory implants, , Cardiff, United Kingdom. 26 - 27 Apr 2022.

Abstract

Aim
BCIG has published quality standards (QS) for decades and they are the benchmark of good practice, ensuring CI Centres adhere to the highest standards of care. They ensure patients receive parity of care throughout the UK. As the field develops, the QS must reflect new demands, challenges and opportunities. Recent years have seen exceptional changes; in 2019 NICE TAG566 widened guidelines for candidacy, enabling CI centres to implant patients with more residual hearing. On 31st January 2020 Britain ratified the withdrawal agreement with the EU which affected data management, stock, supplies and staffing. In March 2020, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, health services globally had to reassess models of clinical service delivery. For CI centres, this meant rethinking traditional on-schedule face-to-face services and moving to a blended, patient-led model. We have incorporated remote models of care with an emphasis on patients managing their own CIs.

Method
All BCIG members were invited to participate in the QS review and from that online request a Special Interest Group of 16 members was established. We are a multi professional group of Clinical Scientists, ENT Consultants, Speech and Language Therapists, Rehabilitation professionals and also both the BCIG Chair and Administrator. We are from centres throughout the UK and Canada. We represent all the devolved nations and work with both adults and children. Under the Chairmanship of Dan Jiang, we met on Teams and divided responsibilities to review and update the existing 2018 QS to reflect current service delivery and new technology. Smaller professional sub-groups targeted updates to sections on surgery, audiology and rehabilitation. Close liaison was made with the Implant Centre Professional Groups including the Implant Centre Audiology Group (ICAG) and the Implant Centre Rehab Group (ICREHAB).

Results
The New BCIG QS 2022 are a reflection not only of the changing landscape in the field of CIs but also the shift in philosophy of healthcare delivery in the NHS. Emphasis is given to a patient-centred and patient-led model of care rather than a clinician-driven and clinician-controlled service. CI candidates may present with much more residual hearing than in the past so CI centres must focus on hearing preservation surgery, intra-operative monitoring, hybrid/EAS and bimodal fittings. Manufacturers all offer direct-to-patient services and this requires collaborative working with CI Teams. Patients now benefit from greater connectivity, so knowledge and expertise in smart phones and tablets has become an essential skill for CI Rehabilitationists. Equality of access across all CI centres is critical so that all CI patients, wherever they live and whichever CI centre they attend, can be confident that they are receiving the same excellence of care.

Conclusion
The BCIG QS must reflect best practice and the latest technology in order to ensure clinical excellence in all UK centres. As a result of rigorous and regular review, they continue to be viewed as a benchmark of good practice both nationally and internationally.

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Contributors

Author: Helen Cullington

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