It is certainly a strange time we find ourselves in and the current situation has presented its challenges one way or another, but with these challenges comes the opportunity to think and act differently.
Cochlear has been working in partnership with implant centres to fast-track some of our new services to help provide extraordinary remote support to recipients and professionals during this time. Where clinic visits have not been possible face-to-face, we have been introducing new services that aim to minimise disruption and keep people hearing using remote solutions. Below are examples of the great work implant centres are doing in collaboration with Cochlear bringing this exciting technology to life.
Remote programming
You may have seen on the news earlier this year how the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service overcame a difficult situation using remote programming, which is an exciting development not often used in the UK. An 18-month old’s sound processors were switched-on for the first time despite the clinic being closed to patients. Audiologists conducted the switch-on from home using specialist software linking remotely with the child’s parents via video link many miles away. This was a huge success and gave this child access to sound who otherwise may have been left without hearing for many months. Excitingly, some other implanting centres are also starting to use this technology.
“The Southampton team; they were amazing. I cannot praise them enough really, the effort of the team – they were just brilliant, and they made it happen.” Mother of recipient.
Remote Check
The Cochlear™ Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor in combination with an amazing new feature in our Nucleus® Smart App allows recipients to check their hearing health from the comfort of their own home. Remote Check is a convenient, at-home testing tool that allows patients with a Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor to complete a series of hearing checks on their compatible iOS device. Results are sent via the Smart App directly to their clinic to be reviewed by their audiologist. They can then communicate back to the recipient through the app to help with any questions or concerns they may have. Cochlear has opened up this technology across the UK and Ireland, allowing more recipients and healthcare professionals to take advantage of these features.
Direct to patient repair service
Our number one priority is to provide on-going support to ensure you stay on-air with your Cochlear implant. Our Customer Services have remained open throughout the pandemic and we are continuing to find more ways to offer support during these times. With that in mind, we enabled a direct to patient repairs service in partnership with implant centres. Should you encounter a fault with your device, Cochlear may be able to deliver the repair directly to your home address.
“Thank you for being so helpful today, with all the hospital department closed! I was so grateful for your help.” Recipient comment.
Upgrade to recipient service
We have also started to offer an Upgrade Direct to Recipient service. This enables us to ship a new processor directly to your home along with all the accessories you will need in a Cochlear backpack. We hope that by enabling a “contactless” upgrade option recipients can continue to gain access to Cochlear’s latest technology from home.
All these developments are very exciting and are changing the world we live in. As we start to recover from the current situation clinics can choose to enable these services, but this will be dependent on their capacity to do so.
Our recipients and healthcare colleagues are always our top priority, and we will continue to look for new ways to support you. We would also love to hear from you. If you have any comments you would like to share, please send them through to us at ukfamily@cochlear.com
