Where to Go for Information, Advice, Assessment?
There is considerable information in published form and on the internet. One recent book for (potential) implantees is found among the vast number of health-related books of the Icon Group: The Official Patients Sourcebook on Cochlear Implants A Reference Manual for Self-Directed Patient Research 276pp 2004. Some websites like http://www.listen-up.org/ci/ci-infromation.html also have a lot of information. CICADA can assist such “Self-Directed Patient Research” especially in the Australian content, by personal contact, through this website, and via the LINKS. The first step before or after informing yourself is usually to consult the family doctor/GP who can refer you (or your child) to an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) specialist and/or to an audiologist in public or private practice. If you are at the stage where a cochlear implant appears a likely option, the doctor can refer you direct to specialist cochlear implant clinics. The last step is a referral to one of the implant surgeons. Note
