Stakeholder groups

Objectives And Responsibilities Of The Task Force

The overall objective of the Task Force is to contribute to and support the effective development and subsequent dissemination of a set of accurate, consistent, and usable guidance and guidelines. As the guidance will need to be updated as new evidence is published or new technologies are developed, the aim is for the Task Force to continue and evolve over the long-term.

Cochlear implant users and those with hearing loss are critical to the process and included on the Task Force. In addition, representatives from the CIICA network and others were consulted, bringing user perspectives from across the globe, to ensure their voice is heard in the development of guidelines and recommendations for adults living with severe, profound, or moderate sloping to profound SNHL.

Task Force: Led by three Co-Chairs, the Task Force created a global Scientific Committee, supporting the effective development and subsequent dissemination of a set of accurate, consistent, and usable recommendations and good practice statements. The Task Force brings together cochlear implant users and subject matter experts from organisations tasked with collaboratively developing Living Guidelines, to optimise the standard of care for adults eligible for cochlear implantation via an evidence based, real time repository under their governance.

Member affiliations extended to national and international organisations and a wide range of stakeholders including society representatives, speech language therapists, general practitioners (GPs), hearing aid specialists, audiologists, ear, nose and throat (ENT)/ENT GP, payer/policy, non-government organisations (NGOs), governmental agencies, academia, organisations implementing hearing care solutions within the community and most importantly patient representatives who represent the real world experience of those with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Each member had an equal opportunity and responsibility to engage in the discussion.

The overall objective of all stakeholder groups will be to contribute to and support the effective development and subsequent dissemination of a set of accurate, consistent, and usable guidance and guidelines. As the guidance will need to be updated as new evidence is published or new technologies are developed, the aim of the Task Force is therefore for continuity and evolution over the long-term. The Task Force will lead the process and be responsible for both the design and implementation of the guidelines into practice. This will include further developing and refining the guideline scope, target audience and key questions. At a minimum, Task Force members will assist and provide input into the development of evidence based and consensus derived recommendations.