Type in keyword below and hit enter
Search Become a member
Home Professional Cochlear Implant Champions The Champions

The role of the champion

1 /General information - how to become a champion 2 /Basic Champion Training video 3 /Activities for CI Champs

You should be motivated and committed to the scheme – implementing change within a service requires determination, perseverance and protection of the allocated time to do so. You should have good communication skills and be prepared to share information and guide/inform discussions about implants within your team.

 

Role of the Champion:

1. AWARENESS – To train, support and empower all members of your team to counsel patients/clients and their families about cochlear implants (CIs).

2. EQUITABLE – To ensure all eligible patients/clients and their families are given an informed-choice and shared-decision making about a CI referral.

3. MONITOR – To audit the quality and quantity of CI referrals, including the quality of counselling taking place in your service.

 

Responsibilities of the Champion:

  • Dedicate at least 1 hour per week to this scheme.
  • Monitor implant referrals in your service.
  • Audit the quantity and quality of implant counselling in your service.
  • Share audit results regularly with your team.
  • Build a relationship with your local implant service.
  • Offer training and support to everyone in your department.
  • Attend the annual CI Champion training sessions at the BAA or BCIG conference, and engage with online training.

The introduction training webinar is available below. This webinar should be viewed before applying to become a CI Champion. Additional training is provided annually through face-to-face events held at BCIG and/or BAA conference. One day of study leave per year will be required to attend. There will be a small fee for the annual training event and travel and accommodation, if applicable. BCIG or BAA will not reimburse this. We welcome applicants for CI Champions at any point throughout the year. The champion role is important for audiologists working in a paediatric and adult setting, in the NHS and independent sector.

Online training and support are available on these webpages, and from your CI mentor throughout the year. The estimated time required to fulfil this role is approximately 1 hour per week. This time is to:

1. Audit – To carry out the audit, you will need access to your patient management system and Excel.

2. Plan team training – To discuss audit results and offer training and support to your team at least 4 times per year.

3. Gather resources – Share resources with your team to develop their knowledge of implant candidacy, support high-quality implant referral counselling and good quality patient information.

4. Communicate with your team and the local implant centre – Updates on your local implant centre policies, waiting times or case studies

 

How to become a Champion:

Your line manager must agree to support you in this role.  Please register your interest by completing this form and emailing it to admin@baaudiology.org

Activities you can do in your 1 hour protected CI Champion time

Become familiar with the BAA champion page content

  • Lots of user friendly resources, support, webinars and suggestions for all audiologists that you can use to support and train your team.

​Gather feedback from your own team

  • ​Explore the barriers in your team to CI referral (these might include appointment time, training needs on criteria, fear of responding to patient’s further questions, a mindset that a CI is a ‘last resort’ or don’t know how to refer) ​
  • Suggested: use a survey (via email) and discuss the results in a staff meeting. ​
  • Use the findings to target the largest barriers. 

​Gather Resources

Arrange manufacturer referral training

  • All CI manufacturers can deliver face-to-face training to your team and bring demo CIs. 

Create or review your standard CI referral form

  • ​AUDIOGRAMS: The first audiogram on record and the most recent audiogram. Including more than 2 audiograms is desirable. ​
  • HEARING HISTORY: onset, progression, hearing aid use over time.​
  • MEDICAL: ENT history, brief medical history, mental health and cognition. ​
  • ADDITIONAL TESTING (optional): speech tests, TEN test results, ABRs or previous vestibular testing details

​Make contact with your CI Mentor ​

  • Request your mentor’s details from BAA admin​
  • Introduce yourself – let them know what you have done so far and your future plans as CI champion. ​
  • Request your department’s past referral data as needed​
  • Ask questions and send case studies to your mentor as needed

​Arrange an MDT observation

  • Your local CI centre mentor can offer you a selection of dates to observe firsthand what happens to your CI referrals​
  • observations can include CI clinic, assessments or CI review appointments

​Crystal report training ​

  • Follow the guidance on the BAA champion resources webpage for using the Auditbase crystal report. ​
  • Some manufacturers can support you with training for the crystal report