Abstract
Background: There is a need for a more holistic approach to treating hearing impairment, as it affects many aspects of a person’s life, not just their hearing. This article describes how The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), particularly the ICF core sets for hearing loss, can be used to plan and evaluate the audiological (re)habilitation of cochlear implant (CI) recipients. Using the ICF core sets should help clinicians better address not only hearing impairment but also its consequences.Methods: The opinions of experts were gathered on their clinical experience about the most relevant ICF categories and codes to describe audiological rehabilitation after cochlear implantation. For the relevant ICF categories, the most commonly used audiological assessment tools and methods were identified.Results: The most relevant codes for Body Functions and Structures, Activity, and Participation were identified. These include: structure of the inner ear (s260), auditory nerve (s260), brainstem (s1105), midbrain (s1101), diencephalon (s1102), and cortical lobe (s110); sound detection (b2300); sound discrimination (b2301); localization of sound source (b2302); lateralization of sound (b2303); speech discrimination (b2304); listening (d115); communicating with – receiving – spoken messages (d310); handling stress and other psychological demands (d240); using communication devices and techniques (d360); conversation (d350); family relationships (d760); school education (d820); remunerative employment (d850); and community life (d910). The appropriate questionnaires as an assessment tools were proposed.Conclusions: Using the ICF can help target the holistic (re)habilitation of CI recipients and reduce hearing loss-induced deficits in function, activity, and participation.
The ICF core sets for hearing loss project: International expert survey on functioning and disability of adults with hearing loss using the international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF)
